


Thaw The Winter (on Hiatus)

by Halcyon1602



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Anal Fingering, Biting, Blow Jobs, Boys Kissing, Coming Out, Consensual Kink, Dreams and Nightmares, Eventual Smut, Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers, First Dates, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Gay, Hand Jobs, Homoeroticism, Hurt/Comfort, Indirect Kiss, Love, M/M, Male Bonding, Masturbation, Mating, Mating Bond, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Non-Consensual, Peeping, Possession, Romance, Same-Sex Marriage, Tissue Warning, Trauma, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-03
Updated: 2016-12-17
Packaged: 2018-04-29 19:02:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5139065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Halcyon1602/pseuds/Halcyon1602
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I’ve decided to play with the idea of explaining Gray’s mental attitude and behaviour with his past. I am extremely conscious of the sensitivity of mental health and the contents below are by no means a guide on what to do. This is built from experiences of close friends very early on in the exposure of the condition when the treatment was a bit…haphazard. It worked for them…As times gone on it's evolved a little to be just as much about Natsu's issues as well. </p><p>…call it the one where Gray’s got some issues that only the Dragon can cure.</p><p>“If you desire healing, Let yourself fall Ill.” – Rumi</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Revelations

Pale wisps of sunlight had begun to filter through the window into Gray’s room. It was surprisingly cold given it was the height of summer in Fiore but it didn’t bother Gray. The cold had been his constant companion since he learned magic however many years ago under his previous Master.

It wasn’t the cold that plagued Gray this night. Ever since that fateful night Ur gave her life to save Gray and Lyon from death at the hands of Deliora, Gray had flashback nightmares. It was only natural that seeing such trauma and death at such a young heart would leave lasting scars.

 _The city lying in ruins. The unmoving bodies of the dead all around. The unparalleled carnage._  He shook his head firmly shifting the last tendrils of the dream from his mind. Gray had passed many trials since then. He had reconciled his differences with Lyon, he had witnessed the final death of Deliora at the hands of Ur’s Iced Shell spell. Alas some scars required a little longer to heal.

It was pointless staying in bed any longer. Gray stood up and donned some clothes; he might as well head to the guild early and secure a decent seat. Mirajane might even be up early. She liked to sing to herself when she set the bar up in the morning which sure as hell beat sitting in bed listening to the embers of a bad dream crackle in your mind.

The air outside had begun to take up the warmth of the sunlight. The walk from his home to the guild itself was only short but getting out of the house even for a few minutes was a welcome reprieve. The towers of the guild loomed ahead of him and a welcome sense of home swept over him.

Walking round to the bar he found it surprisingly empty of people. Not even Mirajane had begun her ministrations as of yet. A single figure sat at the bar, gently fiddling with a row of cards laid out on the table. Gray silent took his seat next to her.

“You’re not drinking already, are you?” Gray asked softly. It was obvious that Cana had already begun from the two bottles laid out on front of her, right next to the cards.

“It’s daylight.” Cana didn’t offer up any further explanations before she absent-mindedly thumbed the card on the table. “I knew you’d be here anyway. Your card looked pained and upset and you always come here when that happens.”

“My card?” Gray’s curiosity was piqued. He knew Cana had Card Magic that could be tied to individuals but was certainly not aware that he was one of them.

“I’ve got a card for everyone,” She conceded. “But there are a few I take special notice of. What’s up?” Cana, despite everyone seeing her as a drunken mess, was nothing of the sort. She had an uncanny foresight into many things and a keen mind when she put her mind to it. Gray had no doubt that she had the potential to be an extremely powerful Wizard if she put her mind to it and the bottle down.

“Ah, it’s nothing. Just bad dreams.”

“Not for the first time though it’s been quite a while. I thought things were getting better, Gray?” Cana was practically the only person beyond Erza, Gray and Lucy who knew anything about Deliora. He never let on to the others in his team what sort of open wounds still remained around his parent’s death. Gray had always been a little cold and cautious by nature which proved a convenient cover.

“Fuck knows. Maybe it’s the sort of thing that you have nightmares for forever.”

“You’re a real cheer when you want to be, ice boy.” She looked at him and wondered what the problem was. “You need a girlfriend or something. Nightmares are shit but having someone to make it better at night might help.”

“I’ve had plenty of girlfriends, thanks. Didn’t change a thing.”

“Having girls you fuck isn’t what I meant.” Gray glared firmly at her but realised she had a point.

“I ain’t got time for a girlfriend.” He chuckled to himself. “Making sure Erza or Natsu don’t kill themselves is a full time job.” They had been missioning a little less now that relative calm had fallen to the world but he knew Erza and Natsu would quickly get themselves into trouble over something.

“Think about it, Gray.”

“Whatever.” _What does she know about anything anyway?_

Cana chose to let silence prevail. She had known Gray just about the longest of all the members of Fairy Tail; the little tidbits of information she had managed to glean from him was hard won. Gray was by nature a very cool and insular person. He joked, he laughed, he socialised reasonably freely but he struggled to discuss his past. Only his closest friends had learned anything about him willingly. Even then the sense he held himself back was ever-present.

She worried about Gray. They had built up a close bond over the years, close enough to be seen perhaps as _de facto_ siblings rather than friends. She had hoped that things would improve once the demon that hexed him throughout his youth had been vanquished.

_What can thaw that Frozen heart Gray?_

****

“Natsu, you’re eating like it’s your last meal.” Lucy sat across from Natsu in their favourite restaurant in Magnolia. It had become something of a ritual they go out for lunch once a week. Lucy felt it was good for Natsu to get away from the bickering, the infighting and the combat that was routine at the Guild. Natsu was never going to turn down an invitation for food; as long as Happy came along too.

“It might be.” He barely paused his eating to speak before continuing to wolf down on the meal. Lucy’s face dropped.

“So morbid.”

“Aye!” Happy barely managed to say with a large fish dangling from his mouth.

“Well you know, we’re wizards. But no-ones beaten me yet!” Natsu grinned as he finished his last portion and slumped back in his chair. It was certainly true that the vast majority of the jobs their team handled were of a combative nature. They had been in some extremely close scrapes and all 5 of them had come close to not coming home.

He was right though. So far Natsu had overcome just about anyone that had challenged him. Whenever he appeared to be beat, a hidden reserve of tenacity frothed to the fore and he came back stronger. His Dragon Slayer magic might have had a hand in it; but then, so would being the son of a Dragon.

“The point I was making was that…well. We’re in public. You could tone it down a little bit.” As usual, the tables sat around the two of them had quickly been abandoned leaving an empty ring in the centre of the restaurant.

“You say that every time.” Happy finished eating and flopped down on the table.

“Aye.”

“You haven’t listened to me yet!” Lucy had yet to give up in teaching Natsu some table manners however many a time she’d come close. Natsu chuckled and grunted an agreement. Lucy pouted at the dismissal.

“Gray can eat at a table civilly.”

“But he can’t walk down a street without accidentally ‘losing’ his shirt or trousers.” He’d used his fingers to mimic the inverted commas as he spoke.

“…conceded.” Gray’s habit had never really stopped. She knew it was a left over from the way Ur had taught him and Lyon (mostly because Lyon occasionally did the same thing). It was uncanny how quickly Gray’s clothes simply disappeared, without him even noticing.

“Face it, none of your friends is normal. Not gonna happen.” He smiled broadly. “It comes with being in Fairy Tale.” He stood up and made for the door. “Speaking of which, I feel like having a fight.”

Lucy stood up firmly and shouted after him, “You never pay your damn bill you asshole!”

Happy floated past her shoulder and smiled at her, dropping the money for his and Natsu’s meal into her hands.

“Since when was Happy a wallet?”

***

Almost the moment Natsu walked through the door, the icy cool bit at his skin. While he was virtually impervious to the cold, he could feel it. He was only barely aware that condensation was forming around him as his heat radiated defiantly against the chill.

Before him Gajeel lay on the ground buried in what remained of a table. Most of the guild members had backed away to a fair distance, forming an arena around the middle of the guild. Somewhere an argument was forming about whether they should have intervened in whatever ruckus was going on.

“The hell is going on?” Natsu walked through the ring of people.

In the middle of the circle stood Gray scowling at the motionless hunk of Gajeel. Natsu’s eyes grew wide.

 _Gray beat Gajeel?_ Gray was strong, one of the strongest of the younger wizards but Gajeel was a Dragon Slayer. His entire magical skill was built on being virtually indestructible. While the guild mates were never _truly_ serious when they fought, Natsu had thought Gajeel a comfortable match for Gray.

Somewhere Natsu was quite….proud.

“Stay out, flame brain.” Natsu wandered into the circle and stood over Gajeel.

“What did he do?”

“Does he need to do anything?”

“I think so. You wouldn’t normally be able to beat him.” Gray tensed up.

“Fuck you, firedick. I’ve already beaten one Dragon Slayer today and I’ll do it again.” Natsu raised an eyebrow; there was something that was not quite right about the way Gray had spoken. Gajeel had somehow managed to really piss him off.

“Calm it, Ice Princess.” Natsu held his hands up in an attempt to show his surrender. “Whats up? You’re always a cold ass but you’re actually angry. Over him?”

“It’s got nothing to do with you.”

“I’m making it to do with me. What the hell is wrong?” For a moment they stared at one another, eyes unwavering. Though nothing was happening, the sense that a battle of wills was occurring between them. This was a magic that could never be seen, the magic of the mind playing out in front of the crowd.

Gray turned on his head and walked toward the door.

“To hell with this. Leave me alone, Natsu.” Gray walked away and left the guild. Out of a sense of duty, Erza followed at a reasonable distance. As much as she was a formidable force in her own right, she genuinely disliked the confrontations that happened between her friends and had no desire to see one of her most trusted allies upset.

“Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?” The guild began to shuffle away and continue with their normal business. Levy started to pick away at the wreckage of the desk Gajeel’s body had broken.

“Gajeel taunted him.” Mira had wandered over and crouched next to Gajeel. It was clear there was no lasting injuries, beyond his oversized ego having been somewhat deflated. He’d be fine in a few hours but that didn’t stop Mira taking an active interest in helping ease his discomfort.

“I taunt Gray all the time but he doesn’t go Frozen Demon on me.”

“You don’t taunt him about his family. You two fight like…well, like Fire and Ice, but you know the boundaries. Gajeel made a joke that crossed a line, you know what he’s like, and before we knew it the largest Fist of Ice I’ve ever seen had him through the table. He was out cold.”

 _One hit?_ Maybe Gray was a lot stronger than he thought.

“Damn. I’m a little impressed.” Mira looked at him with a sad flash of smile.

“I won’t tell a soul.”

Natsu didn’t know everything. He knew that Gray’s family had sadly passed away when Gray was young at the hands of Deliora. Gray might well have been a carefree, bubbly child but that wasn’t the case. It was still one of the only times that Natsu had ever seen Gray cry when they had dealt with the demon on Galuna isle.

But that was the past. A distant passed. Ur had, in the final moments of her life, trapped the beast away in a virtually impenetrable case of Ice formed out of her own body. It turned out she had formed the demon’s tomb; though he was eventually freed by the misguided actions of her other wayward student Lyon, he had been sealed away long enough to be all but dead. All it needed was the helping hand of Natsu ease his passing.

Gray hadn’t changed much since then. He’d reconciled his differences with Lyon and they had regained their brotherhood of old but his general demeanour was the same as it had ever been.

It seemed strange to Natsu that Gray still clung to those ghosts. However on reflection he still strived day and night to be reunited with Igneel. In a way, Natsu had lost his parents just as Gray had. Maybe he and Gray weren’t so different when you stopped to think about it.

_Pfft. Fuck that._

_****_

Midday had been and gone before Gray stopped walking. He thought it better to walk away and rage quietly to himself than plunge Magnolia into a freak snow storm; before long he had passed the town’s boundaries and skirted the borders of the next town’s territory.

 _Fucking metalhead deserved it._ He knew deep down that Gajeel hadn’t intended it viciously but that didn’t stop it cutting at him. Maybe the dream had left the wounds a little raw, maybe he was unaware just how sensitive the issue was but Gray had to admit he was consumed by rage. He burned with it, let it take control of him to the point he wasn’t really conscious of his attack.

Gray had lost control and that itself irked him even more.

The thick wall of trees that surrounded the leafy path gave away to a clearing in front of him.  At the centre was a glistening stream of water, an azure river that cut a clean line through the glade. He gently sat himself at the edge of the water, overlooking the shallow pool. Small fish darted among the submerged rocks while the summer music of birds permeated the air.

In any other mood, the scenery would be breath-taking.

A twig snapped behind him. Startled, he turned and immediately clasped his hands together in a defensive posture, ready to call upon Arcane Ice.

Erza stood in front of him, clad in gleaming grey armour, with her arms folded across her chest and her lips sealed tight. He held her glare for a few moments before turning away.

“I thought it was clear I wanted to be left alone.” Gray didn’t bother to hide the frustration in his voice.

Erza ignored his protest and sat beside him. Gray’s toes had touched the water below and shards of ice spread outwards across the river. They sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity.

“You asked me once why I liked to be left alone,” Erza said quietly. “Not long after I joined. I spent all my time alone, eating in solitude and refusing to build ties or friendships with anyone if it could be helped.”

He remembered her arrival. He was a cocky asshole when he was young and, after finally convincing her to fight him, she’d beaten him with almost no effort. Time after time he challenged her but each time she defeated him before silently seeking the confines of her privacy.

It was only after happening upon her by chance he realised she went away to hide her tears from everyone else. Though she had resolved issues with her past friends from a former, darker childhood now, at the time she carried the burden of her in silence.

“You challenged me to a fight, if I recall. You came running down the hill by the river in Magnolia, full of confidence and bristling to beat me but you stopped as soon as you saw I was in need. Though I pushed you away at the time you refused to leave my side.” Gray remembered well. “This time, I am drawing my line in the sand.”

“Erza, this is nothing you can solve or help with.” The tendrils of ice had reached the other side of the river.

“That doesn’t mean I won’t try.” Gray grunted in acknowledgement, knowing she wouldn’t let him off the hook that easy. “Can you at least give me an indication what it’s about?”

“You know what’s about, don’t play coy.” Gray turned toward her. “It’s always the same thing.”

Erza quietly nodded. “Deliora.”

“Not the demon, he’s dead and vanquished long ago. I don’t give a shit about some horror out of a book that Natsu could swat away with a barely smoking fist.”

“Then your family?” Gray did not answer. “I do not believe you’ve ever told me what actually happened.”

“Nor do I want to!” He snapped, fighting back the urge to fly into a rage at her as well. “Why should it matter to anyone but me?” Fractal patterns covered the river’s surface.

“Because YOU matter to us…To me. Fairy Tale is a place where outcasts find a home; we are a family. You’ve laid down your life ready to face any enemy when Lucy or Natsu or even I are threatened. We would gladly do the same for you. Only this time we can’t just swing a sword or spit fire at it and be done.” Erza rested her hand against his shoulder; he bristled but resisted no further. “Have you ever talked…to anyone about it? Master? Porlyusica?”

“No-one. Porlyusica knows something, she always knows something, but she either can’t stand me long enough to ask or doesn’t care.” Erza was not surprised; though her distaste for mankind and its flaws made her extremely unsociable, the guild’s part time healer had an uncanny knack for making good “guesses”. Often Erza wondered just how much and how far the old woman had travelled to know so much about such a volume but she dare not ask.

“Have you ever considered…going to a psychiatrist?”

Gray chuckled glumly. “I don’t want anyone to go poking around my head.”

“They don’t. There’s non-magical ones as much as magical ones, ones that only work based off of your cooperation.” This did little to comfort him.

“Not happening.”

“Gray, please,” He looked at her, unprepared for her gentle stammering. “You are not only a guild member, not only a member of my team but you are a friend. You have to allow us to help you do _something_. For your sake and for everyone else’s, please consider it.”

Erza sat at his side for some time, watching as river in front of them gradually de-frosted. Gray’s control over his magic was, usually, flawless. She had watched him form countless items over the years and perform feats that few Ice mages were capable of. The fact that he could challenge Natsu to a head up fight and survive the aftermath was impressive enough.

However, he had lost that control for a time. She had very real concerns what happened when a very powerful wizard such as Gray lost control _for_ _real_. As much as her primary motive was platonic altruism, she couldn’t help but think of the negative consequences should Gray snap at any point again.

“I’ll consider it.” His voice wavered as he said it, clearly uncomfortable with the idea. However Erza considered it a victory that he would do that much.

“Thank you. Now…will you come back?” She stood, holding her hand out to help him.

“I think….I think I want to go home for now.” He stood and paused, looking up at Erza with a sullen face. “I appreciate you coming after me.”

“I will take you _.”_ He knew wiser than to resist.

*****

“Do you think he’s going to stop anytime soon?” Macao asked rhetorically.

Natsu hadn’t stopped pacing near the entrance since Gray had stormed out. He was vaguely aware that Gajeel had awoken, smouldering with indignation. Without a word he left while the guild stared in anticipation.

Natsu knew Gray well enough to know this wasn’t the normal, moody Gray. Normal, moody Gray was fun. Normal, Moody Gray would call him names, would get insulted very easily and then proceed to have a fight until they’d almost knocked one another cold.

That hadn’t happened for several months.

Natsu had quietly spent many hours agonising over what was wrong. Was Gray sick? That seemed unlikely, he’d never actually seen Gray ill before apart from at the end of an extremely tough job. Was Gray homesick? Again, unlikely. He’d spent most of his childhood in Fairy Tail, not to mention the trauma he’d witnessed back home. Was Gray unhappy in the guild? The concept was ludicrous in itself. He’d come to defend the guild and its members countless times so that couldn’t be it.

“Natsu, please stop. You’re making me dizzy,” Wakaba groaned quietly. Everyone had noticed the pacing but hadn’t asked. The vast majority chalked it up to a new “Natsu-ism”. Only an insightful few had the clarity of thought to recognise his concerns.

“Be dizzy then, not my problem.” He snapped back.

“Natsu, are you okay?” Mira gently placed her hand against his shoulder as she walked past. “No one wants to say it but we are a little concerned.”

“I’m thinking.”

“I can see that. What about, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Gray.”

“You’re worried about him? That’s quite kind of you. You two are always fighting but I know you care about each other. In your own way.” Natsu looked at her with wide eyes before regaining his composure.

“We’d be a worse team without him. Besides it’s boring not having anyone to beat.” Mira smiled softly and gently hugged him.

“I know, Natsu.” She walked away carrying her tray in her hand without saying another word.

The doors to the guild opened. Natsu quickly turned leapt for the door. He very nearly knocked Erza to the floor before he realised it was her.

“Natsu?” Startled, she stood looked at him intently.

“Erza. You went after Gray, where is he?” Erza’s eyes glazed a little with comprehension.

“He went home after we talked.”

“What? He just went home? After all that earlier he isn’t even going to come explain himself?” Natsu gritted his teeth in frustration.

“Natsu, this isn’t the time for this.” Her tone suggested a warning, but he chose to ignore it.

“It never is. He’s becoming harder and harder to be around. We don’t go on jobs half as much as we used to, we don’t have fun like we used to anymore. The whole guild has noticed that it’s hard work with him. Even Juvia is keeping her distance. He needs to sort this out and I’m going to make him.”

Erza firmly wrapped her arm around Natsu, holding him from going any further through the door.

“Listen to me, Natsu. He needs our help, not our anger.” Her voice was hesitant and unsure. “I’ve made a breakthrough today, I can feel it. We need to give him gentle encouragement. Please Natsu. Please.” They held one another’s looks for some time before Natsu relented.

“Fine. What are we going to do?”

****

Around a week had passed since Gray snapped. With Erza’s gentle encouragement Gray had slowly come round to the idea of seeing a psychiatrist. It had taken no small degree of subtle suggestions on the part of Erza and Lucy to get him to come round to the idea fully. There had been moments the entire plan had threatened to fall apart at the hands of Natsu’s frustration but Erza had managed to keep them in check.

And so all four of them plus Happy were sat in a tastefully decorated room that served as a reception of Magnolia’s resident non-magical Psychiatrist. Once Natsu had realised that there may actually be something genuinely _wrong_ with Gray, he had worked tirelessly to gather the necessary funds to pay for these sessions. He’d taken jobs of the most dangerous nature, the highest pay outs possible, purely to make this moment happen.

The only condition was that Gray never found out.

“Mr Fullbuster, please come in. Your acquaintances are free to stay as long as needed.” An eldergly gentlemen with a full head of gunmetal grey hair stepped called him into a private room. The gentleman sat down in his chair and patted the sofa that sat at his side.

“Please, young man. Have a seat.” Gray nervously accepted the seat and sat bolt upright.

“My name is Mr. Yanagi. Your friends care about you a great deal to bring you here.” He looked at Gray with a sideling expression. “Do you mind if I call you Gray?”

“Go ahead.”

“Good. That’s good.” Mr Yanagi paused for a second to perch a pair of half-moon glasses on the end of his nose. “Before I begin, I want to ensure that there is no underlying causes for whatever it is that ails you. I will ask you a few simple questions and all you need do is answer yes or no. Is that okay?” Gray nodded gently.

“Do you have any telepathic abilities?”

“No.”

“That’s good. Are you under the influence of any known enhancement runes, incantations or drugs?”

“No.”

“Good. Do you perform or dabble in any forms of prohibited Magics such as necromancy, black magic, death magic and succubus magic?”

“No.”

“Are you still grieving for the loss of your family?”

Gray turned to him with a look of abject horror. _What….How?_ He immediately felt himself welling up a little, a combination of embarrassment and frustration.

“I apologise if that was somewhat direct. I wanted to gauge your reaction and my first estimate appears to be accurate.” Mr Yanagi stood up and gently drew a book from a bookcase before wandering back to Gray.

“You see, my licence means I can read up on your history. You are somewhat of an enigma, Gray Fullbuster. I had to send off for medical records from quite a far country to even learn who you are. Those records record the death of your mother and father which coincide with one of the last known sightings of the Zeref Demon Deliora. 2+2 together; I guessed that would be the most likely cause for your condition.”

 _“My condition?”_ Gray hissed.

“If I am correct in my suspicions then you have a grave condition that shall require time and some careful management to overcome.” Mr Yanagi smiled softly. “All in good time, mr. Fullbuster.

The elderly gentlemen placed the heavy book against the desk that sat in front of his chair. Book was perhaps a misnomer; a tome was more appropriate. The bindings were old and worn, the intricate decorative patterns long since faded into weak traces along its surface. He folded the cover over and began to thumb at the weak pages. Flecks of dust sprung from the pages as he turned.

“When you think about your parents, what do you feel?”

Gray immediately tensed at the memories. Usually contained behind a makeshift dam in his mind, trickles of the images burst through cracks in his mental defences. He remembered his family home, where he had his happiest days, burning in the night. He remembered the weak screams from within the house. He remembered the hulk of the burned building after it had finished.

The room grew a chill and a thin layer of frost gently settled on the cabinet beside the sofa.

“I don’t know.” It was an honest answer as his emotions were a maelstrom; it was like trying to identify an individual fruit in a smoothie. All he knew as that it _hurt_. It was tangibly painful to remember which is why he did his best not to let it out.

“Is it anger?” Gray shook his head. He always associated anger with a sense of burning and that didn’t fit what he felt.

“Is it regret?” Gray remained still. He had wondered on countless occasions what would have happened had he been there. The answer was the same each time; he didn’t know his magical potential then. Even when Ur had trained him to use magic he was next to useless against the demon.

“I…I don’t think so.” He whispered meekly. The warmth of the room begun to condensate from the cold emanating from the sofa.

“Then perhaps it is fear?” Gray shaped the word ‘fear’ in his mind and attempted to make it fit against the hurt he struggled to contain.

“Fear is a poor choice of words, I’m sorry Gray,” Mr Yanagi said softly. “You cannot fear that which doesn’t exist anymore. But perhaps Fear has taken on a new form. Tell me, what is most important to you in life?”

“I don’t know.” Gray truly didn’t. He’d never been able to shake the feeling he was just meandering on through his existence with no goal or purpose.

“Alright. What do you..care for? What do you cherish?”

 _What do I care for?_ Questions bubbled in his head. For the fear of slipping into a dark place, Gray rarely took the time to look inward instead of out. He didn’t really know what he cared for. All he knew was the people that mattered to him now and where they belonged.

“FairyTail and my friends.” Even as he shaped the words he couldn’t help but cringe at how corny it sounded. _Natsu would have a field day over that one_.

“Because they are your family. And when they’ve been under threat what have you done?”

“Defended them, of course. What sort of question is that?” Mr Yanagi smiled at him broadly.

“It is the key one, Mr. Fullbuster.” Gray stared at him in puzzlement. “The only thing that you can really care for at this time is Fairy Tale. The people there accept you, enjoy your company…perhaps even love you, who can say. In a sense they have become your surrogate family which is why you fight tooth and nail to protect the guild and its members.”

Realisation dawned on Gray that the only thing that really mattered to him was the guild. It was full of total misfits, much like himself, but they had always been there for him whenever he really needed them.

“That in itself is no illness; relying on something important to your heart is what motivates all people in this world whether they are good or bad. But you, Gray, suffer an affliction.” Mr Yanagi’s face turned grave. In reaction, Gray tensed. Fractal patterns began to gently form from the palms of his hand against the sofa.

“You reject social interaction with the very thing that you strive to protect. You scorn closeness with people around you unless it is on your terms and in your own time. Am I right?”

Gray nodded, scowling as he did.

“Seems quite strange to alienate the very family you have built a bond with. This is the biggest clue.”

Mr. Yanagi lifted the book and carefully propped it against his knees so Gray could see. He pointed to the title of the section and Gray flinched at the words.

“I suspect you have a variation of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.” Phantom wisps of ice mist formed throughout the room. “It is difficult to diagnose any illness of the mind and there is no one-size fits all approach that works. That being said your temperamental nature, your aggressiveness towards your friends couple with your preference for solitude would all hint to an anxiety around closeness or relationships.”

 

“If I were to postulate a theory, I would suggest you have subconsciously protected yourself from any further pain or suffering due to loss. You fear losing someone important to you again and so never let anyone get close enough to matter that much. Sadly, FairyTale has managed to get in the way.”

Gray struggled to process all this in his mind. _PTSD? Him?_

“Doesn’t PTSD only come from warzones?” Gray stammered.

“Not at all. Any trauma can be the trigger for the development of a mental condition such as this. I suspect losing your family in front of your eyes when you were a child is as strong a trauma as any to invoke this response. Think of it like a defence mechanism for your heart.”

 _I thought I’d got over it but I haven’t have I? Ur told me she’d seal away the darkness in my heart and I thought she’d done it._ Though he couldn’t place why he felt a sense of guilt. She’d done everything that was humanly possible, and then some, and still it wasn’t enough.

“How do I treat it?” Gray only knew that he wanted to get better.

“Not easily. This is as much about battling yourself as battling anything else. Therapy, perhaps but that is expensive.” Mr Yanagi pondered quietly to himself as silence fell.

“So there is no way?” Gray had already felt like admitting defeat as he looked to the floor.

“Not so. I wonder whether the dichotomy in your heart is something that might be your saviour, if you let it.” Gray looked up, his eyes glistening on the edge of crying. The mist began to recede, and the ice patterns on the sofa started fading.

“You have managed to develop a strong affection for the people of Fairy Tale. You have to let yourself grow closer to them, let yourself be the team player that your mind says you shouldn’t.”

Was that even possible? Gray did not want to lose anyone else that he cared about and wizards, especially those from Fairy Tale, by their very nature lived dangerously. They were always at risk of harm or injury; that thought alone made Gray hesitant. Mr Yanagi nodded sagely as he watched Gray’s reactions.

“There is risk involved as always. All of us may die at any given moment but that is something you will have to learn to cope with on your own. There are ways we can make that journey more comfortable.”

“Really?” Gray was unconvinced. Mr Yanagi wandered to the door and ushered Natsu, Lucy and Erza into the room. “Mr Fullbuster, I hope you do not mind me bringing them into the room.”

All three of them looked on intently, waiting for the elephant in the room to be revealed. Gray shook his head softly.

“Good.” The elderly gentleman turned toward the three stood by the door. Each of their gazes fell upon him. “Gray requires your help. Firstly, I think it would be a good idea for him not to live alone. It is far too easy for him to fall into old habits and remain secluded.”

“What?! What kind of help is that going to be?” Gray shouted, his fist slamming into the desk.

“You find being alone easy. Being with other people is hard but it is precisely what you need.” Gray seethed angrily. “Professionally, we would use a technique called CBT to try and change your perspective on things but I suspect those who you care for are far better than I or anyone else at doing this on their own.”

“This is…fine. Fine, we’ll try it. However good luck even finding someone who’ll be in a room with me for more than 10 minutes,” Gray hissed. The three of them flinched at the accusation. Erza stepped forward to volunteer but was beaten to it.

“I will.” Natsu crossed his arms has he said it. Gray and Lucy’s mouths both dropped while Erza simply rose an eyebrow.

“What? There is absolutely no way I am living with you.”

“Sure there is. Lucy hates us knocking around her house as it is and I think your messiness will drive Erza crazy.”

“I don’t ha….” Lucy began protesting but was quickly cut off.

“It’s not happening!”

“Gray, it isn’t such a bad idea.” Erza said calmly. Gray looked at her, incredulous that she supported it. “Less questions will be asked among the guild than if you were to live with myself or Lucy. Neither my home nor Lucy’s can accommodate another person. Natsu has a second bedroom that is unoccupied.”

This was incredible. Living with _Natsu?_ _He drives me utterly crazy just being him, how the hell am I going to live with him. I don’t even want to_. He even questioned whether it was actually going to help him. It seemed utterly ridiculous that simply living with someone could in any way help him. However he had to admit he was tired of feeling on edge all the time, tired of being plagued by dreams each night. Now he had a chance to make a difference.

“Natsu, you really want this?” He asked, still struggling to come to terms with the idea.

“I want Gray back. So I’ll do what it takes.”

“Well. Fine. I’ll try this but if it goes wrong then don’t blame me!” Gray grunted.

Erza, Lucy and Natsu sighed a collective relief. Gray, on the other hand, felt apprehensive and he couldn’t quite explain why.


	2. We Wait for the Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is what I'd call the set-up chapter. All the pieces are falling into place. A few hints, subtle or not. Excuse me for the #hopelessromanticfeels
> 
> "Like a thousand other commanders on a Thousand other battlefields, I wait for the Dawn" - Jean-Luc Picard

“Ms. Porlyusica. I am grateful you have taken the time out of your day to come,” Mr Yanagi sat at an ornate table in the middle of a small office. The office was one of the more formal rooms within the guild with windows that stretched from the floor to the ceiling, ornate paintings and an elegant wooden floor.

“I’m only here because Makarov asked me to be.” She refused to sit at the chair given to her. To the side of the table, a grave faced Makarov stared blankly at the wall.

“Of course. I’ve called you here as you are the closest thing to Gray Fullbuster’s medical practitioner; by the same light, Makarov is perhaps the only thing that can stand as his next of kin legality notwithstanding.” Porlyusica looked between Makarov and Yanagi, unsure of they would want her there at all.

“At the encouragement of his friends, Mr. Fullbuster came to see me regarding some concerns he had over his wellbeing. You are aware that I am psychiatrist, correct?”

“A reputable one, so I have heard.” Her expression hardened as she spoke. Generally, Porlyusica had little regard for most “healers” whether they were of the mind or the soul. She was of the opinion that most were little more than an elaborate scam, and those that were not simply smelled the money that came with the industry.

“You flatter me,” Yanagi said softly with the hint of a smile. “After spending some time discussing his state, I am of the opinion that Mr. Fullbuster is suffering a deeply buried mental disorder related to a traumatic event in his history.”

“The boy’s got hang ups, so does everyone in this place.” She shot a withering look at Makarov who had barely even shown interest in the conversation.

“I think this is more extensive than most. Consistent nightmares, a rejection of any form of closeness with those he holds dear, an explosively violent temper; these are not normal symptoms of someone with “issues”. You are aware as much as anyone of the potential risks of a magic user who is unpredictable and perhaps even uncontrollable.”

She knew very well what the old man was hinting at. It was known that wizards who had lost their faculties or suffered from outbursts from mental health issues, could become extremely dangerous. Gray was one of the most powerful young wizards she had encountered in such time and the threat of that power being unleashed in an uncontrolled manner was grave indeed.

“Are you sure that this is really that serious? Makarov, you know the boy well enough. Surely you would have seen some signs?” He looked at her with sad eyes; she knew then the levity of it all.

“A parent is often blind to the shortcomings of their children. I’ve known for some time that Gray was not a sociable man, unless with certain individuals, but have failed to see the warning signs of something deeper. He’s a trouble individual and has been tormented for many years,” He looked down at the table. “Unfortunately I was not able to see it.”

“Guilt, then. Regardless, why have you called me here? If you have all the answers, then you surely know the best way to treat him and be done with it.”

“There is no real way to treat an issue like this. You simply coax the mind to heal over the wounds of the past which takes time, practice and no small degree of cunning. In Mr. Fullbuster’s case, a unique opportunity is presented in that he has an endearing loyalty to his closest friends. Though he may shun close contact, he can tolerate the people in his team. I have suggested to him that he lives with one of them and, after some convincing, he has agreed.”

“The idea is to abandon the gentle coercion we could usually favour to treat this illness and use a “in-the-deep-end” tactic. Gray is strong and mentally resilient so is an ideal candidate to try a more unusual method. Furthermore, is suspect the chosen acquaintance is one of the only people that would be able to contain him should the worst come to pass.” Porlyusica processed the words through her head and came to a startling conclusion.

“Surely, you don’t mean Natsu…” Makarov nodded. “That is ludicrous. I have spent countless hours bandaging both of them together after they have gone too far in a fight. Makarov, They’re nuts to even attempt this.”

“They are not children anymore; they can make their own choices. Besides, being forced together might allow them some opportunity to reach an understanding. I’m as sceptical as you but I cannot deny them that chance.” Makarov sighed and turned to Yanagi.

“I assume Mr. Gray is continuing sessions with you?” Yanagi nodded.

“For the time being. Once per week.”

“Then the guild will cover all costs.” Porlyusica gasped in surprise. “He has done enough for this guild to have earned it. I would only ask that this does not become known to the wider population of the guild; not yet. We will let Gray and Natsu work through this themselves.”

 

* * *

 

_Living with Natsu. What am I thinking? I’ve seen his house, it’s a complete tip. I can’t live like that._

Gray laid in bed that evening unable to sleep. There was an underlying fear of experiencing a dream similar to the one he had only a few nights back; this was, however, only a background noise for his mind racing at the future that was about to unfold.

_I still don’t believe this bull. PTSD? Rubbish. I’m fine. I’ve always been fine. People just drive me crazy._

Part of him had begun to wish that he had never agreed to go in the first place. He hated how his whole world could change in the space of an hour. He had gone with the hope of putting a label on what was wrong with him; instead he’d been given a label he wanted nothing to do with.

The more he thought about it the more terrible it seemed.

Natsu and him had never had an ideal friendship. Ever since Natsu had arrived at the guild he and Gray had fought tooth and nail. As children they spent their days challenging one another to fights in the courtyard, beating each other senseless until neither of them had the strength to carry on. As teenagers, when other people their age were concerning themselves with men/women and general adolescent things, they continued to fight one another only using the breadth of their magical abilities as well. Gray had, at times, left Natsu well alone as he experimented with women or with the latest teenage crazes but it took only a short conversation with the Dragon Slayer before they were at one another’s throats.

Gray turned and stared out the window at the dim moonlight. A shroud of clouds sought to blind those below to the beauty of the starlight sky. A gentle breeze pushed the haze above along, allowing anyone looking fleeting glimpses at the constellations. It was a beauty that, though often hidden by weather, was ever present. The sky did not change; distant suns remained ever present throughout the lifetime of any human. They were a constant, just like the laws of Gravity or the presence of magic in the world.

There wasn’t much that was constant in Gray’s world. His family, his home, to some extent his friends were all transitory. He had begun to make inroads on the latter but still he felt they were little more than passing him by.

_Except him. He’s been there from the beginning_. _Natsu has been there since I came to Fairy Tale, he’s always been around me. Is that…comforting?_

_No way. It can’t be comforting. He’s utterly insane. He and that cat. They’re childish, they eat like they’re about to die at any moment. Natsu needs to grow up big time. But at least I can count on how he will be._

_I guess you could call that comforting. Euch, that’s a horrid thought._

Looking around the room, he found it bare. Abnormally so, at any rate. He didn’t have many keepsakes, not being one for sentimentality, and so most of his personal bits had already been moved to Natsu’s place in the city. Gray lived in what could only be described as a cabin. It was cheap to rent and functioned perfectly for him; far from the city limits and foreboding enough to prevent anyone thinking of knocking on the door to sell him something.

Natsu, on the other hand, lived in a flat above a quaint little antique shop down one of the smaller side streets in the city itself. It was cheap, of a decent size, and only a few minute walk from his favourite restaurant. That was all the convincing Natsu ever needed.

_He would think with his food wouldn’t he._ If Gray was entirely honest, Natsu wasn’t a bad guy. He was extremely loyal and protective; Gray had seen Natsu come to the aid of Erza, Lucy and even him when it was really needed. Natsu was someone you could count on when things got serious.

_Damn FireFreak. I can’t even get him out of my head when I’m trying to sleep_.

He caught himself smiling. _The fuck? What was with that goofy smile_. He shook his head and turned over, burying his face into the pillow. He should at least try to get some sleep before the “big day” tomorrow.

* * *

 

“Natsu, you’re going a little overboard aren’t you?” Happy asked. On Gray’s bed were a clean set of bathroom towels, clean sheets and a new set of pillows. All of Gray’s trinkets had been arranged around the room in as close a pattern as Natsu could remember them being in Gray’s home.

“I want him to feel comfortable here. It’s all pointless if he freaks out and freezes the whole place within a week.” Natsu continued to adjust the items in the room for around another 10 minutes. Still dissatisfied, he decided to move on to other things.

_I really want this to work_. Natsu never really let on but Gray was one of the people he felt closest too. It didn’t matter that they fought a lot, that was natural for wizards who wanted to test their strength. It was a good way for them to practice and keep in shape.

_If this is what makes him better, I have to make it work. I want the old Gray back. The fun Gray, the fighting Gray….My Gray._

Natsu stopped in his track. _Did I just think…what?_

Happy considered interrupting but decided to just let Natsu get on with it. He’d never seen the Dragon Slayer so worked up and so flustered. He’d tidied the place up for the first time in what must have been at least a year and had hurried about making preparations.

Happy lay himself down on the table and smiled. He knew deep down that Natsu really did care about Gray. He just hoped Gray would appreciate all the lengths that Natsu was going to. Happy had yet to decide whether Gray was a good guy or bad. Now he had the best opportunity to find out.

_Brush it off, now isn’t the time._ This wasn’t the first time Natsu had thoughts on this scale.

Gray was someone that no one had seemed to be able to tame. He had girlfriends in the past, plenty of them, but none lasted more than a month or so before a dramatic breakup happened with catfights in the guild or some thrown drinks. Gray just wasn’t very good at women. He was only any good with Erza because she was distinctly unconventional for a girl; Lucy found him as miserable and shallow as any other girl did, she just happened to like the rest of him.

Even if they only ever fought or insulted one another, Gray had stayed around Natsu. They’d been almost inseparable in their youth and Natsu felt a sense of pride that he had managed to keep the ice wizard coming. Was that a weird way to see it? That Natsu had kept Gray around long enough.

_That is kinda weird, get a hold of yourself._ Natsu sighed to himself. Dragons have an inert desire to possess. They are a species that obsesses on bonding which, he supposed, had rubbed off on him through Igneel’s parenting.

_You’re thinking like you want Gray to be your mate_.

_My mate…_

He slapped himself on the wrist to clear the thoughts from his head. Whatever they were they were unwanted and unwarranted, not to mention weird. _You can’t mate a guy, sheesh._

He continued to pace around the flat, re-arranging and tidying the rooms until they were just about as clean as they had been since he began living there. Satisfied with his work he slumped on his bed heavily and sighed.

“Happy…are you okay with this?” Natsu looked at the cat that had settled at the end of the bed. Happy remained silent for a moment, schooling his face before answering.

“Sure I am, Natsu.” Happy smiled broadly but failed to convince.

“You’re lying. If you weren’t comfortable with it then you should have told me.”

“It’s not that I’m not comfortable with it, Natsu. I just dunno how this is gonna pan out. I mean…you and Gray are always fighting.”

“Yeah, well this is different. Living with someone is a whole different kettle of fish.”

“I bet he won’t get me fish like you do.”

“You’d be surprised. He’s a lot more considerate than you give him credit, you know.”

“If you’re sure.” Happy settled himself down, declaring the conversation over with. He had deep reservations about how this would pan out. He knew Gray was unpredictable at the best of times and Natsu had been acting odd ever since the plan was set into motion.

As far as they knew none of the other guild members had ever lived together before. Only those that were in a relationship like Bisca and Alzack had attempted to live together and they weren’t just dating, they were fully committed with the white wedding and children.

“Happy, come onnnnnn. It’ll be fun. Worst case scenario then we’ll just end up fighting and testing each other’s metal. It’s about time!” Natsu smiled contently at the thought.

Happy watched on as Natsu slowly drifted to sleep with that same contented smile on his face.

* * *

 

The pair of them sat at a table far from the stage in the guild. The usual crowd had gathered around for one of Mirajane’s legendary performances leaving them alone to talk.

“So…are you ready? Have you got everything you need?” Natsu asked with a warm smile.

“I guess so. All the furniture’s at yours, it’s just clothes now.” Gray absentmindedly responded. It was moving day and apprehension had consumed him since the morning.

“Eh, you hardly need all that.”

“pfft, fuck you firebrain.” Gray snapped at him with a hint of a smile.

“I’m just saying. You can’t even control it.”

It was true, Gray’s habit was still pretty much uncontrollable. Natsu realised only moments later that this could become an issue if he were to strip at home by accident.

“Well I’m going to have to now aren’t I?” Somewhere a part of Natsu felt…something. It wasn’t a good feeling whatever it was.

Gray sighed. “I dunno. I’ve sat awake thinking about this the last week or so. I’m not sure if this is even going to work out.” Natsu looked at him, struggling to contain his disappointment. “But Yanagi reckons this will help. I gotta believe something can help, eh?”

“Yeah, Gray. We can work it out. I’ll give you as much space as you need in the meantime.” Gray considered this for a moment.

“You’re acting kinda weird, lately. You’ve become all….I dunno, soft and caring.”

Natsu laughed. “I guess I have a little. The last thing you need right now is me being a dick.”

“You mean, like you always are?”

“Fuck you, Ice Princess.”

“You two alright all on your own?” Erza sat down on the seat next to Gray, gently placing her drink against the table. At some point she had requipped out of armour into a casual evening dress. She’d made significant progress towards becoming comfortable out of her armour.

“Fine.” Gray answered softly.

“Peachy!” Natsu stuck his thumb up as he beamed.

“When are you moving in? I mean…officially?”

“The Registry Commission is sending a mailbird when it’s done. I gotta wait for all the official paperwork. They gave all sorts of funny looks when I was saying I moved in with _him_.” The Registry Commission was Magnolia’s official office that controlled all land ownership or registry. Notorious for its frightening efficiency and accuracy, they were required by law to approve all citizen’s movements.

“I can imagine. Still, the office is always very quick with such matters. It will not take long. Are you prepared, Gray?”

“As prepared as I will ever be.”

“I am glad to hear it. This is an unusual adventure for you both so I hope it goes well. The mission board is quite dry at present so I can see it will be some time before we are all required to go on job together. I suggest you take this time to…bond a little.”

“You make it sound like we don’t know each other at all?”

“You need to get to know the sides of each other that no-one else knows.” Erza said sagely before standing up and leaving, giving them both a gentle smile.

“That sounded far more gay than I think she meant it to.”

“Who said she didn’t mean it.” Grays eyes grew wide at the thought. He’d made the mistake of seeing some of the books that Erza had in her bedside cabinet once and several images came to his mind. He quickly brushed those thoughts aside before he blushed.

At that moment a tiny blue bird landed at the table and twittered his name. It was time.

“It’s time, Natsu.”

Natsu leapt from his seat, dragging Gray with him.

“Happy it’s time!” Natsu shouted across the room. Somewhere they both heard an “Aye!” before the Exceed raced up behind them.

A summer storm had rolled over the city of Magnolia. They had joked that perhaps Juvia had got wind they were living together, disrupting her master plan to twist him into loving her. Either way the rain fell upon the land heavy and harsh. The occasional slash of lightning arched across the late evening sky followed but moments later by a heavy crack of thunder. Those few people that were caught unawares ran from doorway to doorway, desperately avoiding the heavy rain.

It didn’t bother either Gray or Natsu. Water evaporated in the air a short distance away from the fire wizard and Gray had long ago stopped feeling the pain of the cold. Magnolia was surprisingly peaceful in when under a blanket of rain; the usually bustling nightlife gave way to the quiet of an empty city.

It did not take them long to reach their home. Natsu climbed the steps and opened the door, proceeding into the flat. Gray paused outside, looking up the steps to the 1st floor flat.

_Home_. He’d never had a home. This was just another place within which he could live. Then why did he fear it so?

“I’m not going to keep this door open all night, you’ll let the heat out.” Gray gritted his teeth and shoved the doubts to the back of his mind. There was no going back now

He climbed the steps and crossed the threshold.


	3. Dreams that tell no lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first night brings familiar troubles. It also brings an unfamiliar comfort?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm conscious I've had to improvise contents a bit and it likely differs from Anime/manga representations. Creative licence and all that!

_That smells divine_.

The moment Gray walked through the door into Natsu’s home, the inviting scent of home cooking soothed his senses. He had no idea that Natsu cooked _anything_ , let alone something that smelt so delicious.

The ambient temperature was several degrees hotter than he was used to but that was no hardship. The first room he entered was a surprisingly large lounge/eating area, festooned with small trinkets and nicknacks from the Dragon Slayer’s travels. A suite of large rattan furniture surrounded a warm natural fireplace and little sideboards bordered the room. A great woven blanket with a simple representation of a Dragon hung on the furthest wall.

 _He’s even tidied up._ Gray smiled a little as he crossed the threshold. He had been to Natsu’s place before but had no idea what it looked like under mountains of detritus. He’d never, for example, seen the little statues that lined the sideboard near the window. He’d never noticed the large bookshelf that was decidedly absent of books; rather it was filled with various potted plants. Hidden in the corner near the fireplace was a large, fluffy cat bed surrounded with various stuffed animals which had again slipped his notice in times past.

He placed the small bag with his last few items on the floor and took a moment to compose. This was…his house. This was where he was to live for the foreseeable future. The only barrier between him and his biggest rival was now no more than a wooden door. Yet, despite the unmistakeable fear of nervousness, he found himself completely comfortable in the flat.

“Are you okay?” Natsu glanced back from the archway of the doorless opening that separated the living space from the kitchen, his brow furrowed in concern. “Do you…like it?”

“You didn’t have to go to the trouble of tidying, flamebrain. But…yes. I’m…. I’m okay and I like it.” Gray _did_ like it. Though it wasn’t his previous abode, his sanctuary, it felt equally comfortable.

Natsu beamed before nodding, retreating back into the confines of the kitchen.

“I didn’t know you could cook.”

“I couldn’t. Call it an experiment.” Gray chuckled. It was too good to ask that Natsu tidied up and be a fantastic cook at the same time. Still that was something they could both work on. “Hey, don’t laugh till you know whether it’s good or bad.”

“I’ll refrain. Do you mind if I go and unpack things?”

“Go ahead. Corridor to the left, second door on the right. Bathrooms at the end of the corridor and my room Is the first door.”

“Right.”

Gray picked up the bag and advanced down the narrow corridor. The flat wasn’t a big space but it was easily bigger than the cabin he lived in previously. When he reached the room, it became clear that the majority of the space had been taken up by the kitchen and living space. Though the room did fit a double bed in it, there was precious little room for anything else. A small wardrobe stood at the end of the bed, bordering the single window while a little dress sat the other side. The room was lit only by two small table lamps making. Each wall was painted in a dark red, making the room seem much warmer and cosier than it ought to.

Though Gray had little he called his own, his personal items had been laid out across the tables. There was a photo of him and Lyon from when they were young, as well as a group photo from the Guild. All his clothes were already packed away and the bed covered in a crisp, new set of covers. While there was little space for extra possessions he had never really been someone for sentimentality. He sat down on the bed, surprised by the soft and gentle way it gave underneath him.

 _I could call this home_.

He gasped a little at the thought that blurted out of nowhere. Totally unexpected, though not unwelcome, he grappled with the concept of home in his head. Home, to him, was not simply where you lived but somewhere you felt you belonged. Saying he belonged in Natsu’s house brought with it a whole other kettle of fish that he was definitely not ready to face.

“Popsiclepants! Food is ready if you want it.”

Natsu had spent an awfully long time preparing whatever it was. He did enthusiastically tell Gray the name and explain what it was; it mattered not for it was genuinely delicious. Natsu wolfed down his food as quickly as ever while Gray ate slowly, savouring the tastes and flavours. Who would ever have thought that Natsu was any good at cooking?

“Whatever you did to learn you did well. That was great.”

“So you’re admitting I’m good at something?”

“Cooking, yes. I’ll admit that much. Anything else I’m not sure.”

“Sheesh, I whooped your ass last time.”

“I wasn’t trying, dragonboy. I’ll get you next time.”

“Oh yeah? Do you want to prove it?” Natsu grinned. Gray looked at him and smirked; he was half tempted to rise to the unsubtle baiting.

In reality, though, he had tired himself by worrying. Though, on first impressions, there was no real sign of anything to be concerned about he hadn’t slept properly for quite some time.

“If it’s all the same to you, I think I need to get some rest.” Natsu schooled his face, smiling softly.

“Of course.”

“Tomorrow, you’re going down.”

“I look forward to it.” Natsu smiled, a look of mischief adorning his face. Gray stood from the sofa on which they were both sat and carried his plate to the kitchen. He had failed to notice that in the trip between the two rooms he had “lost” his shirt but that would be dealt with later.

Finding his way to the bathroom, he felt the fatigue finally wash over him. Though, so far, no calamities had happened he had worn himself out with fear. He removed the last of his clothes, besides his underwear, and settled into the cavernous bed. Between the soothing warmth, the comfortable bed and the general success of the day it did not take long for him to drift away.

* * *

 

Natsu watched as Gray lifted from the sofa and skilfully removed his shirt. He considered saying something but thought better of it simply letting him get on with things. It was too much to expect Gray to adjust all of his habits immediately.

Though he did not want to jinx anything, Gray’s first evening in his new home went by without any real hitch. They’d held a conversation, though short, and Gray hadn’t frozen the building into a glacier which were all good signs. Trying carefully to temper optimism with wisdom, he hoped this would continue at least as is.

“You did well, Natsu. Dinner was tasty! I think Gray liked it too,” Happy said comfortingly from his little cat bed.

“Seems so. Only time will tell whether princess will really like it here or not.”

“He probably wouldn’t appreciate it if you kept calling him that though, he’s quite sensitive.”

“He knows I’m only messing. He calls me just as bad.” That much Happy couldn’t deny. Natsu started the clean-away process with Happy attempting to help (and being fairly useless due to washing up bubbles distracting him).

There was something about this domesticity that Natsu kinda liked. There was a sense of routine, a sense of order to the usually chaotic life he led. This was the first time in a long time  he had been able to simply stop and have a quiet evening without some crisis forming halfway across the world.

 _You’ll get used to this you know._ He thought to himself quietly. _The missions will be harder when you have to go away and lose this._

_What am I actually going to miss though? I’ve never done all this before, it’s kinda weird. Maybe I just like it because it’s new or maybe it’s what I’ve always wanted._

A thought dawned on him that had made him both terrified and intrigued. _What if the thing I will miss is Gray?_

 _For starters, that doesn’t wash as he’s part of my team so he will be there. But I won’t have him all to myself_.

 _There’s that possessive thing, again. Need to start thinking less like a dragon_.

With the moon hanging halfway into the night sky, he supposed there was little left to do beyond go to sleep himself. He tucked Happy into his cat bed (by this point he was fast asleep anyway) wishing him a good night as he did.

In passing the door to his room, he felt a distinct drop in the temperature compared to the rest of the house. He’d never felt a cold spot in his place before. As he stood, attempting to identify exactly where the cold spot was, a thin layer of frost emanated from the wall next to Gray’s room.

Natsu’s heart dropped. He quickly rushed into the room to find Gray still fast asleep in his bed.

Except Gray wasn’t sleeping peacefully like he’d hoped. Gray was juddering under the covers, kicking violently with his feet in his sleep. His eyes twitched rapidly and unintelligible whispers fluttered out of his mouth.

_He’s having a nightmare. Yanagi said he might have nightmares._

Natsu felt a pang of helplessness. There was nothing he could do to bring Gray out of this subconscious battle no matter how much he may want to. He’d specifically been warned against waking him up in these circumstances lest Gray wake up incoherent and confused.

But Natsu couldn’t do nothing. How could you do nothing when someone you cared about was clearly suffering?

_Why am I feeling so protective over him? I don’t know but it’s weirder than before. I can’t imagine what he’s going through in his head right now, Not to mention he’s freezing the whole house out. I wonder if he’s even aware he’s using his magic._

_I have to do something. I can’t just sit here and watch_.

Without any hesitation, Natsu very gently placed himself on the bed next to Gray, hoping that the warmth at least would provide him with some little comfort.

Gray turned over and gently huddled against him. Natsu knew he was treading a fine line between offering respite from his demons and being weird; to that end, he tuned his heat down to a warm glow to ensure Gray didn’t wake up.

A few moments later Gray reached a state of relative peace as he slept. The convulsive movements had stopped and no more incoherent chatter fell from his lips. He had wrapped an arm around Natsu’s waist, clinging desperately to the warmth as if it were the only thing that sustained him.

 _He looks so peaceful like this._ Natsu smiled a little to himself. He knew that he’d have to extract himself at some stage or an incredibly awkward conversation would be had in the morning; however, he could enjoy the gentle embrace of someone who was depending on him for their peace and tranquillity. _Beautiful, almost._

He sat there for what seemed like hours, until the morning was well underway. Feeling Gray stir next to him, time to leave had come. He managed to slide free as Gray turned over to face the window. He took one final glance over his shoulder as Gray gently awoke before retreating to his own room.

* * *

 

_The frozen wastes of winter that surrounded the city had been rudely awakened from their natural slumber. Buildings that previously stood tall, a steadfast guardian against the biting breath of the northern windows, were little more than burning rubble._

_In front of Gray’s eyes, a vast wall of shimmering ice cracked and buckled under the ferocious flames of a demon’s magic. A magic circle glowed intensely beneath his mentor, Master Ur, as she battled with her the very essence of her soul to shield herself, Gray and the unconscious Lyon from harm._

_Finally, the intense assault from the demon’s magic faltered. The Ice wall that had protected them cracked and shattered mere moments later as Ur dropped to her knees. It had taken much of her strength to simply withstand the demon’s attacks, let alone use fleeting opportunities to fight back._

_Deliora itself turned away and continued its rampage across the city, seemingly unfazed by the brazen defiance against its strength. A single mage, even one that would likely have been a Saint wizard in another time or place, was not a match for his sheer brutality. They would not last forever._

_“Ur, your leg…” Gray was barely able to comprehend what had happened. How could he be so stupid to think him, a child, could really go against that demon? Even Ur was not able to defeat it in a stand up fight. He’d watch her use magic he’d never seen just to keep the three of them alive._

It’s my fault _was the only thought he could process through his mind._

_“Yeah, noticed that.” Her biological leg had been sheared off at some stage in the battle, replaced now by a glittering leg of ice. She was barely able to walk on it as there was no feeling or connection to the muscles above but utter determination kept her standing._

_“Ur, I’m…this is my fault, all of it,” tears had begun to well in Gray’s eyes as the levity of the situation hit home._

_“I’m here now, it don’t matter. I wasn’t about to let you get killed now as I?” Ur stood herself up and looked over at Lyon who was still out cold. “Hey, do me a favour?”_

_“Look after him. It’ll take him some time, some patience and a steady hand to get over this.”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_“I can’t beat it, Gray. I don’t think anyone can beat it. But I can at least stop it.”_

_With little warning a Magic circle of a size much larger than ever before formed at her feet and a wall of ice sprung around her. The demon, seemingly detecting the use of a much more powerful magic than before, turned toward them and began a gentle advance._

_“Gray, listen to me. I want you to look after Lyon. He’s older than you but he’s got all sorts of funny ideas in his head.”_

_“Why won’t you…”_

_“Because the only way to stop him involves stopping me to.”_

_Before Gray could protest, Ur crossed her arms and shouted “Iced Shell!”. The wall of ice that had surrounded her leapt toward the Demon and immediately began to freeze against its limbs. Seemingly unable to counter it, the creature fought with all his might against the ice but its efforts bore no fruit._

_“What are you doing?! What do you mean!”_

_“This spell requires the caster to give something up to be completed. I’ll freeze Deliora in an impenetrable shell of ice so he can never threaten anyone ever again; but the magic converts the casters body_ INTO _the shell itself.”_

_Gray leapt toward the Magic circle but the sheer strength of magic being used prevented him from getting close. “Ur, No! Why?!”_

_“I told you once I wanted to help the darkness in your heart.” She turned toward, her face gently cracking under the strain of the spell. “Now I can lock your darkness away.”_

_He screamed. The pillars of the precarious little comfortable world he lived in came crashing down as the closest thing to a parent figure in his life gave herself up to help him._

_At that moment, something stirred in the cold darkness of the night. An unfamiliar warmth surrounded him, made the very air he breathed feel soft and comforting against his skin. He could no longer see Ur and the Iced Shell; they had been replaced by a brilliant wall of flame that leapt toward the Demon, tearing through its thick hide._

_A figure stood in the centre of the flames; He knew it wasn’t Ur but that’s all he could distinguish. He was overcome with a desire to approach the flames, to embrace the warmth that emanated from whatever it was that was now defeating Deliora._

_As he approached, he gently extended his arm to touch the flames. Though nothing of the figure he saw revealed himself, a warm and comfortable feeling permeated the scene. You could easily forget you were in a frozen city; instead, he felt like he was standing in a sunlight garden on a summer’s afternoon._

_The world around him fell away. The demon, the burning city, the ferocious bite of the cold all passed into little but a dim memory. The dream had become empty, replaced instead with a feeling of tranquillity and calm._

Gray awoke hours later, barely able to remember the dream that had plagued him earlier. Something had changed, something had made the memories somehow hurt less than they did before. He shifted softly in the bed, eyes barely able to open. From the look of the sunlight rushing through the windows, it had to be mid-morning.

Somewhere near the doorway he caught the slightest wisp of pink exit the room. Next to him the bed covers on the unoccupied side were ruffled and unsettled. His barely awake brain struggled to piece the limited evidence together into something reasonable.

“Natsu…” He fumbled the word out, still barely able to grasp what he thought he had seen.

“Was that really…you?”


	4. A Head Full of Questions, a Heart Full of Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsu learns of a destiny while Gray's questions grow.
> 
> I call it a chapter of foreshadowing!

“Natsu…” Gray whispered to himself.

He still wasn’t completely satisfied he had seen Natsu leave his room. He was still feeling dazed after a heavy, deep slumber and could easily have mistaken something. He shook himself a little bit before turning over and laying his head back against the pillow.

The storm from the previous night had passed, leaving only the faintest tendrils of grey sky and weak drizzle behind it. Magnolia looked especially peaceful under a rainy sky, mostly because the ever present throng of people was gone. The foolhardiest market stalls had already opened up but little trade passed.

_ It can’t have been Natsu _ . No matter how adamant Gray was it wasn’t his Dragon Slayer comrade, he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling from the back of his head that it was. Even more concerning was how not angry he felt at the idea that it might have been.

_ Even if it was, why? What the hell did he want? He can’t have been watching over me all night, he’s not that much of a creep. Besides, that’s not his style. He doesn’t do the caring, considerate thing. He doesn’t think like that. _

Yet, when Gray took stock of all the facts available the evidence suggested he was very much wrong. His dreams had been remarkably consistent, picture perfect recollections of past events up until last night when they suddenly took a positive turn. The imagery of warmth and fire, despite the desolate scenario that he remembered, would seem to hint toward Natsu. The flash of pink the morning after, the ruffled and unsettled bed.

_ Wait, the bed? All the sheets on the other side are unruffled. Don’t tell me he laid...beside me? _ The thought was utterly incomprehensible, ludicrous, ridiculous.  _ You’re really going nuts now, lad. Natsu would rather eat Happy than lay down next to me at night _ .

Whatever it was, he had the best nights sleep in a long time. He hadn’t awoken at the zenith of his torment and slept soundly straight through the night for the first time in near a decade. It was a revelation. He felt completely rested and had a strange desire to flop over and drift back away.

Gray stretched out and lifted himself out of bed with a heavy groan. Without a thought he walked from his room to the bathroom and started the shower, determined to spend as long as he could in it. He only realised half way through that he’d trudged through the house completely naked.

_ Damn, I’m gonna have to get a handle on that _ . He peaked out of the shower curtain to see if there was any sign of Natsu’s presence in the house. There was complete silence; No snores, no signs of movement. The house appeared empty. Fleetingly Gray was relieved.

But that begged the question where was Natsu?

* * *

_ Protect _ .

That was the single thought that resonated from Natsu as he lay next to his guildmate. An overwhelming desire to protect and guard, to keep safe and keep contented. It was an almost nauseating desire that burned within him as he stood guard throughout the twilight.

_ The fuck is this about? It’s Gray. Asshole’s strong enough to protect himself, he doesn’t need my help.  _ He was right. The ice mage had a magical prowess strong enough he could give Natsu a run for his money, a feat extremely few conventional wizards were able to say. They had battled the magical world’s most powerful and ingenious evil and prevailed.

_ Yeah, and I want to cuddle up to him like he’s a baby _ . It was sickening.

The fishing rod in front of him twitched a little before settling down again. The dull drizzle that bathed Magnolia in water was ideal for fishing and yet no takers had come. In truth, there probably had been some interest but Natsu was so distracted he simply couldn’t remember.

“Natsu…” Happy laid against him, looking up at the scowling Dragon Slayer. He did not answer.

“Natsu, are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Not very convincing.” Natsu grunted.

“You’re not listening are you?”

“I’m sorry Happy, I just...Thinking.” That troubled the Exceed more than anything; Natsu wasn’t someone who pondered anything with any great detail and it only happened when something was really quite wrong.

“You can talk to me, you know.” Natsu smiled softly and gently patted the Exceed, silently affirming the notion. “Is this...about Gray?”

“I dunno.”

Happy thought better than to push the matter any further than that. He knew it was about Gray but he wasn’t sure why. The last night seemed to go fine and they hadn’t spoken that morning to get angry with each other. Was he having regrets? 

_ Protect _ . Every fibre of Natu’s being screamed with this overbearing directive. He felt compelled to it, little more than a slave to its power. No matter how weird it felt, how alien the desire was there was no way to argue it.

This didn’t feel like anything he had ever felt before and he couldn’t understand it.

_ Why did Igneel not teach me this? It’s got to be a Dragon thing and I could do with knowing what it all means. Maybe Gramps will know?  _ He decided he had to find out what was going on.

He stood, clutching the spend fishing rod in his hand while Happy sprung into flight.

“Happy, can you take me to the guild?”

“Sure.”

Happy grappled his best friend and launched into the air.

_ I will get to the bottom of it. _

* * *

“Protect? That’s the only way you can describe it?” Makarov stood on the table in his office, hands clasped behind his back and brow furrowed.

“Yes. It’s...It feels like I can’t think of anything else.”

“Who did you say this was about?” Natsu blushed and looked away.

“I can’t say.” Makarov tipped his head ruefully and hopped off the table.

“Did Igneel ever tell you about...the birds and the bees?” Natsu’s eyes grew wide. “You see, I’m not sure I could explain this like a real dragon can.”

“Uh...do you really mean...that?”  _ You have to be kidding me _ .

“I mean that. I guess Igneel didn’t get round to explaining that all to you before his disappearance.” The guildmaster sighed before flopping lazily onto a firm sofa laid up against the wall. “You see, human relationships can be as deep and as meaningful as the greatest plays but have an unfortunate habit of being as fleeting as our short lives. Dragons are different. Dragons do not fall in love like we do, they “mate” for life. A Dragon can only ever have one love and will stay with them until the day they die.”

“Where’s this going, Gramps?”

“I am lead to believe, if Gajeel is any example, that Dragon Slayers mate in the same way. The desire to protect, the all consuming fire that burns in your heart is a trademark of the Dragon’s way.”

Natu’s world had been turned upside down and blended into a puree. A mate? He was thinking of Gray like he was his mate. 

“Don’t I get a choice in this? I really  _ really _ can’t be going all Dragon mate on this one, it just won’t work.”

Makarov looked sidelong at him, his eyes squinting very slightly. “I don’t really think there’s anything you can do. Dragons have always been described to just “know” that it’s right; the pair will fall for one another whether by choice or not. It is simply a matter of time.”

“You must remember that for a Dragon their entire existence is permeated with magic. The Northern Landers, such as where Gray hails, have a saying: “An Earthquake is a Dragon’s Debate”. It’s a hazy area as to how this affects Dragon Slayers and their human partners but I am lead to believe it works in much the same way. Somehow, the Dragon’s love is infectious. Whoever is the target may be unable to resist.”

“This...Really? I can’t believe this shit.” Natsu could feel his frustration slowly turning into anger. For the most part being a Dragon Slayer was an asset but at times like this it was a complete hinderance. “Gramps, this won’t work. It can’t work.”

“You make your own choices, Natsu. You can try to fight it and walk away from that destiny of you wish.” Makarov looked at him intensely. “But it would be for your own good to simply let the course of fate proceed as it needs to.”

Natsu sighed and turned away.

“Whoever she is, she will be a lucky girl.”

That stung more than it really should; Natsu simply walked out the door and marched himself down the stairs to toward the guild.

“Natsu!”

His heart froze. The voice was unmistakable. Gray sat slouched over the bar, shirt abandoned and laying at his feet.

“Gray.” A maelstrom of thought and emotion wracked the Dragon Slayer’s mind. He didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or attack him at once. He hadn’t had anywhere near enough time to process what he had just been told through his head, let alone be confronted by that which vexed him.

“I wanted to say thanks for dinner and all last night. Erza and Lucy were thinking of going on a little mission posted on the board. Would you be up for it?”

Natsu didn’t answer, he only stared at the ice mage.  _ He doesn’t look tired and haggard anymore. Maybe a good night’s sleep did him good _ . Natsu smiled very softly and quickly covered it once he realised why.

“Er. I can’t. I already accepted one on my own, haven’t got long to get it done.”

“But you…” Gray as about to protest but Natsu had already kicked off into a run.

“Later, guys.” Within moments, he had leapt out of the Guild.

Natsu ran from the guild at full speed, launching out of the confines of the city and into the depths of the forests. He ran and ran until his feet failed to carry him any further, wanting nothing more than to get away from away from the guild and away from Gray for a while. There was absolutely no way he could fall in love with Gray, his biggest rival. As his friend he couldn’t force that upon him, he couldn’t let that happen.

Though his head remained a torrent of questions, his heart knew the answers. Come what may he could not let that future happen. He couldn’t bare it, and he couldn’t force it on Gray.

* * *

“What was that all about?” Gray hadn’t really spoken to anyone but himself.

Awakening to find the house completely empty was a little bit of a surprise. Everyone knew just how much Natsu liked to sleep and Gray was up at a reasonable time. He’d roamed about a little, poked at a few things in the house before he went to the guild as he always did.

He couldn’t shake the nagging image in his head from the morning.  _ It had to be Natsu, it really had to be _ . The question was why?

“Gray, are you okay?” Mirajane had crept up in silence, placing her hand on the counter next to him wearing her warmest smile.

“Yeah, just...Natsu’s acting a little odd. Well more odd than he usually does. Flamefreak. He’s apparently out on some job somewhere. It’s been years since he took a job on his own.”

“A job?  He hasn’t accepted one in a long time.” Mirajane looked puzzled as she sifted through her own mental library.

“What? He lied?”

“I couldn’t think why he would wish to hide something from you or his team.”

“Well I’m not going after him. Stupid idiot can do what he likes; if he doesn’t want to be honest with us then that’s fine by me.”

In truth it troubled him deeply. Natsu was the kind to wear his heart on his sleeve, not hide away from what he thought or felt. 

He didn’t like to admit it but he admired Natsu for the simple way he lead life. Where he had spent however long trying to mask the way he felt, hiding away under a protective mask, Natsu had always been open for the world to see.

That made this sort of behaviour completely out of the ordinary.

Erza and Lucy wandered over moments later and stood next to their icy friend.

“I thought Natsu was in the Guild?” Erza half stated, half asked.

“Yeah he was here. He said he’d taken on another job and left a few minutes ago.” 

“Really? He hasn’t taken a job in ages? Really, he could have picked a better time.” Lucy huffed to herself. “Well, whatever. It won’t be a hard job! The merchants in Hargeon said it was only a small bandit encampment so it shouldn’t pose a problem for us!”

“You’re getting really confident of late. You should have faith in your abilities.” Erza turned to Gray. “I take it you are still in?” He nodded. “Very well. We might as well make way, Hargeon is a reasonable distance away.”

And so he left, his head full of more questions than he had ever before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think we all know where this is going! I am hoping to get to the nice fluffy bits fairly soon. Apologies for the delays!


	5. Fatality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old enemy surfaces and the battle nearly lost. Can they be saved?

“Requip!” A brief flash of light surrounded Erza as her Heart Kreuz armour vanished, replaced with the Heavens Wheel set. Tendrils of magic energy whispered around the armour’s metallic wings. In the air around her 8 gleaming blades appeared from a magic circle, each of them aimed in a semicircle in front of her.

  
With no little more than a thought each of them launched themselves forward, slamming home into their intended targets. All 8 men before her were thrown to the ground or all behind them, their will to fight utterly ruined by the fearsome mage in front of them.

The mission was going entirely according to plan.

The journey on the train from Magnolia to Hargeon wasn’t that difficult and the town’s leadership who had posted the mission had a wealth of information to hand. The bandit camp that had plagued traders and travellers on the road to the western coastland moved regularly so as to stop the local guard ever finding them. Every attempt to quash the troublesome band had been to no avail.

Finally, a wandering alchemy wizard had stumbled upon the encampment while on the prowl for supplies. Though she had been spotted, a very quickly devised alchemical smoke bomb had let her escape. The bandits had been discovered; they had to move quickly to ensure they were not found.

So far they had banked on typical regional bureaucracy giving them a week or so to gather their supplies and secretly begin moving equipment from place to place in the night. They had not counted on three powerful wizards from arguably the most famous magic guild in all of the continent stepping in.

“Erza!”

She turned toward the voice, recognising the hoarse cry from Gray. She was just in time to see a crossbow bolt tearing through the sky at her, fast enough she probably wouldn’t be able to switch armours in time to stop it.

Mere moments before it’s impact, a wall of ice appeared no more than a few centimeters from her body. The arrow bounced harmlessly from it’s surface before the wall cracked and collapsed. The crumbling ice speared away from her, slamming into yet another assailant who went crashing to the ground.

“This is almost too easy!” Somewhere behind her, Lucy had called forward Aries from the celestial spirit world. A collection of armed bandits fell victim to a wall of wool and were rendered non-combatant quickly.

Lucy was right. The band of vagrants were well organised, surprisingly well armed and many in number but they lacked a key strength: Magic. Without any real magical ability they were totally incapable of besting the Fairy Tale wizards. The only thing that posed a challenge was the sheer number of them.

Gray hadn’t really used a lot of magic. Beyond the shield he used moments ago, for the most part his sheer strength is more than adequate. A man can appear strong when he wields a sword, but Gray knew for the most part it was no more than an illusion. With a little skill he had dispatched his foes with his fists and feet.

“I thought this might be a challenge.” Gray slumped against the wall as the last one fell before him.

“Can’t complain! Easy money for us guys, eh?” Lucy beamed at the thought. As ever she went from one month to the next desperately gathering money for rent. Despite the work they did she always seemed to run out of money just at the wrong time.

“Any opportunity to practice one’s skills is welcome.” Erza had shifted back to her habitual armour, surveying the field before them. Approximately 60 people of various ages and descriptions lay on the battlefield near the encampment. They had been there about half an hour. “I think we are done here.”

“Finally I can pay the landlord! I think he’s got really upset with me delaying a week...every month.”

“Not going to lie, I’d have kicked you out months ago.” Gray teased.

“I should charge you and Natsu rent since you turn up out of the blue so much!”

“You like it really.”

She huffed and turned away to scour the scene for anything useful. Gray had enjoyed not thinking about Natsu but Lucy had done enough for the pink Dragon Slayer to re-emerge in his mind. He couldn’t help but wonder what Natsu was doing, why he had taken off so quickly and suddenly. Mira had confirmed that he hadn’t taken a job like he had told them so what was so desperate he felt the need to lie about it? It was all very...un-Natsu. When the most consistent and constant person in your living memory goes off the rails, you should worry.

“We should light the beacons and let the guard know it’s over,” Gray said to Erza who nodded in affirmation. She pulled a firework from within a pocket of her Knight Magic, laid it upon the ground and lit it. Within moments the skyrocket launched into the sky, followed by a brilliant yellow explosion. It was the agreed signal to the Hargeon division of the Fiore military that the job was complete and they may come to complete the clean up and arrests of any survivors.

Minutes later, the captain of the guard approached the trio with his detachment in tow.

“Wizards of Fairy Tale, Hargeon cannot thank you enough for your actions. We are glad you put an end to this menace before they claimed any further victims.”

“We are glad we have been of assistance.” Erza bowed her head in respect, as her friends gathered at her side.

“I am authorised to verify the contract completed and pay you as was offered. Once again, our compliments to you and your guild.

  
Erza reached out to the extended hand of the Guard.

The guard vanished, howling in an impossible scream of horror. In it’s place a deep, purple shade cackled briefly before fading into nothing. All around the three wizards, the troops of the Fiore army fell in a similar manner, wailing in agony.

“What the…”

“Fairy Tale!” The voice echoed around them, bristling with hatred and venom. Lucy gasped, immediately pulling the key of her most trusted spirit Leo to her side. Erza too knew the voice that declared its presence, instinctively changing to the strongest armour at her disposal.

“It can’t be…” Gray whispered. That voice had not surfaced in many years and had hoped he wouldn’t again.

“It has been far too long, my little lowlifes.” A figure stepped forward from the shadows of the forest, surrounded on all sides by creatures of purple smoke and rags. The man was tall and stood with confidence, wrapped in a heavy purple cloak. Dark, slick hair was tied back behind his head and framed an aging, slightly wrinkled face.

“Jose.” Erza stated, clutching her sword at her side.

Master Jose. The Master of the famous Phantom Lord, the guild that took both Juvia and Gajeel in the insatiable quest for power. Some years ago Phantom Lord had challenged Fairy Tale to a dual of power, seeking to force the guild into a war it could not win. Jose, fortunately, severely underestimated the skill and power of Fairy Tales’ wizards and fell victim to the awesome power of Makarov himself.

“I see time has not dulled you recollection, Titania. Good. I have a score to settle with Fairy Tale and what better than to start with the wizards that orchestrated my downfall.”

“Jose, our quarrel with your guild is ended. In fact, the magic council has intervened and disbanded Phantom Lord. We have settled our scores.”

“For, you maybe. You ruined my entire career, ruined that which I had built for decades. Fairy Tale and it’s upstarts rendered my achievements worthless. I have spent however many years rotting away in the backwaters of this kingdom waiting for the right moment to crush you and your insolent guild.”

This was impossible. _Surely this can’t be real. When Phantom was disbanded, they must have arrested Jose. Has he escaped Jail? Escaped the Council? Or what if he’s roamed free for the last decade._

Before Erza could finish her riposte, Magic circles appeared before Jose, each of them bearing an untold level of his unique form of evil magic. Launching from the circles, shades many times larger and more virulent than they had encountered in their desperate defense of Magnolia leapt toward the trio.

Lucy was completely overwhelmed within moments, falling to the ground. She still lived but had been weakened and wounded, barely even remaining conscious.

Erza put up a valiant struggle against the shades, striking countless down with the spread of weapons she had materialised. After the 80th fell to her magic, she reached the limit of her abilities. Having expended a little magic defeating the foes before the Phantom Lord arrived, she could not fight at her full strength. While it was clear she had grown in power, so too had their old adversary. Her power already weakened, one single shade fell through the net. She collapsed to the ground, the armour she had chosen shattering as she struggled to maintain control of the energy at her disposal. The shades surrounded her, preparing for the pounce.

“Ice Make: Cannon!” Gray watched with abject horror as Erza collapsed to the ground and choose an offensive strategy to thwart the Phantoms. The giant ice cannon formed above his head and fired within moments, driving a column of ice through the throng of Shades.

It clattered against a heavy magic circle erected hastily in front of Jose, splintering into melting shards against the barrier. Gray poured his might into a second round, firing merely seconds after the first had gone. It again slammed against the depleted barrier and cracked it, striking a weaker second shield merely inches from Jose’s face. In a desperate tactic, the Shades fell at the ice blast and absorbed the brunt of the firepower.

This was _bad._

  
Gray had expended much of his power to fire two shots from one of his most powerful spells and, though the Phantom Mage had struggled to react quickly enough, he _had_ absorbed the attacks. The only option was one last attempt to beat him before his power was expended 

He leapt toward Jose, using as much power as he could muster to launch one last attack.

“Ice Make: Death Scythe!” The great Scythe formed in his arms, swinging high into the air above him.

Jose raised a hand, extending two fingers toward the sky. “Force.”

A wave of energy slammed against Gray, launching him back into the wall. The ice that he had formed shattered and vanished as he was overcome with the sheer power used to pin him to the ground.

_Fuck!_ He had run almost dry of strength. _I’ve failed. I couldn’t protect them at the last moment_.

  
He thought then that it was inevitable. He had been told that you tended to analyse your life moments before you died, trying to objectively rate the achievements or failures of your existence. He looked at his life and found himself underwhelmed. Yes, his guild had managed great things with his assistance and accomplished much but he had failed on so many levels as a person. He still had not truly got over the loss of his former master, his friendship with his closest friend and adoptive brother was tentative at best...he had failed to ever get over his inability to be close to his friends. Erza had remained at arm's length to him by his own fault, he had many opportunities to bond with Lucy and had not done so. Not to mention Natsu.

_Natsu_.

What did he even feel about Natsu? Only days ago he had innumerable questions about Natsu and what he meant. All they had ever done was fight with one another, taking breaks to go off on some quest to save the world or something, before their ancient rivalry frothed to the fore once again. Yet his rival had accepted him into his home with open arms.

_What is it with you Natsu?_

The first night, he was confident Natsu had helped him sleep by laying next to him and guarding against his dreams. Why the fuck would he do that? What did the Dragon Slayer really mean to him? Natsu was a constant in his life, something that had always been there. They had a curious relationship but he guessed Natsu was the closest thing he had to a real friend. Through their rivalry they became stronger, more powerful. They had forged a bond in fire.

_Fire. What an odd thing to think of right now._ What would have happened had Natsu been there. There was every possibility they would have prevailed with the Dragon Slayer at their side. Instead, an unfitting end to their troup was at sight.

Jose stood above him, panting softly as he gently kicked his foot against Gray’s leg.

“You have impressed me yet again, Ice Wizard. Yet your rebellion is intolerable. You and your little collection must pay.

  
He lifted both hands above the trio preparing to cast their end.

“Not if...I..Can help it. NATSU!”

 

* * *

Natsu bolted upright, fire erupting from his body into the night sky.

_Gray._

Something was wrong. He did not know why, or how, or even where but he knew they were in danger. _Fuck, why did I storm out?_

He was alone, buried deep within the forests somewhere between Magnolia and Hargeon. He had a suspicion that Happy had followed him and was nearby but he didn’t want to go hunting for him. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was this inescapable feeling burning within him.

They were in danger and he had to help them. _You must protect_.

The little camp he had formed for himself was abandoned in earnest. He launched himself into the air with fire erupting from his feet. He gained altitude as rapidly as he could, looking out toward Hargeon for any sign of what he sought. The town appeared on the edge of the horizon. At its outskirts, faint cloud of purple hazed over the land.

_Gray’s in danger. Protect_.

  
He launched into the darkness, streaking toward the scene.

* * *

 

“Oh? You call for your friends in your time of need? How pitiful.” Jose grinned eagerly.

  
Above, his detestable magic clouded out the sky. Shades and Phantoms filled the air above them, slowly drawing in on their victims. Gray tried his best to form a barrier above himself but it was useless. His magic was almost spent, his physical strength waning. The pain in his chest suggested he must have been hurt badly by the blast but he couldn’t find the strength to look downwards.   


“You and your kind had no right to challenge us. You brought this unto yourself, lowlife.” He placed his hands above the unmoving Gray and dark magic pulsated outwards.

“Shadow End.” His voice echoed with those of the cloud above, a chorus of evil. He felt the energy wash over him, drawing upon what little strength he had left. He felt what little strength he had ebb toward the cloud and guessed the same was happening to Erza and Lucy.

A flash of light filled his vision as he drifted out of consciousness.

“Fire Dragon: roar!” An unending stream of fire lanced from the skies toward the cloud of violet beings, shattering the spell in waves of flame. The stream cut through the cloud like it were paper, striking Jose directly and burning his clothes to a cinder. Through the incredible pain he somehow managed to cast a barrier between himself and the roar, absorbing the final throws of the spell.

“Impossible fiends!” He cried as he disappeared into shadow leaving traces of blood all over the ground. Wisps of Shade struck out at Natsu, each of them quickly batted aside by a flaming fist.

The Dragon Slayer fell at Gray’s side, placing his hand against his neck. There was a pulse, slow and shallow. He placed his other hand against Gray’s bare chest. Breathing, ragged and detached. Natsu’s breath hitched at the site before him, feeling the faintest of tears seek to unsettle his vision.

“Nat...su.” Erza crawled toward them, forcing herself on to her feet. Behind them Lucy found herself cradled in the arms of Loke who had sensed her time of need and forced the gate open between the Celestial and Material Worlds.

“It’s Gray.” Natsu brought himself to say, shuddering with each word. _Protect_. The need to protect and guard his guildmate became ever more painful as Gray slipped further and further from life. “I let this happen to you by not being here. I failed in my duty to all of you. To him.”

“I’m fine. Lucy is fine. Gray. How is he?” Erza held herself above the pair. She could already see it was not good.

As Gray had fallen, some rubble must have cut against his skin as a heavy, deep wound struck across his stomach gushing blood. Bruises covered his body while he remained unconscious

“I don’t know what to do, Erza.” She looked down at Natsu and saw a lonely tear drop from his face.

“Burn the wound, gently. Cauterise it.” Natsu gently placed his hand against Gray’s skin and let the fire ebb weakly from his fingertips. The skin burned and crackled underneath, sealing itself as the heat sealed the wound. “We need to get him to the guild and fast. I think only Wendy can help him now.”

Natsu picked Gray up in his arms, cradled in the bridal position. “I will keep him safe.”

Fire erupted from his feet once more as he launched into the skies. He knew how terribly wasteful this sort of flight was and he would be weak when he arrived but it didn’t matter.

Erza knew he would; the look of the Dragon burned in his eyes. And Dragons, above all else, protected their treasures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going away on holiday for a week or so, I felt remiss if I didn't make up for lost time. I've spent a lot of the day on and off writing this piece so fingers crossed it's okay ^^


	6. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gray awakens from his coma a changed man...

**_Somewhere deep in the Forgotten Desert_ **

 

A great mass of purple clouds exploded from a magic circle upon the floor. Around the clouds, the desert sands danced upon airwaves kicking up a great cyclone into the air. The broken and injured form of Jose Porla, encased in waves of his Shades.

He fell to the desert ground as the clouds dissipated. Drops of blood fell to the floor from the wound on his leg. “Impossible. Simply impossible.”

He had spent a great time wandering the wilderness and honing his skills. His magical ability already placed him within the top 10 of the land, even procuring himself the title of Saint Wizard long ago. While he had lost that title when the Magical Council sided with Fairy Tale, his sheer ability had not diminished in the slightest. He marched the empty planes of countless lands, striking down dark and lawful guild alike to practice his magic. He would be strong enough to take on Fairy Tale and utterly eliminate it even if it killed him.

And yet, when he finally had an opportunity to attack them he failed.

“The Salamander. It’s always the Salamander that thwarts any evil. The guild would be nothing without him.” He hissed.

“He is the key to their end.”

* * *

 

_Reach in. Feel your path to the body._

Wendy’s hands were placed squarely on Gray’s chest, a faint white light glowing from her palms as she connected with his nervous system. She wanted to test first that the Nervous system was responding, making its own attempts to heal the massive damage she guessed was below.

_Start with the organs._

  
It was bad. Whatever had cut through his stomach had cut into his intestinal tract; the kidney appeared to be damaged as well. Gray had lost an incredible amount of blood, so much so Wendy was surprised he was alive.

  
She set about healing the damage to his organs, tentatively stitching together the wounds. She stimulated the body’s natural blood production to replenish that which was lost.

Natsu had burned almost every drop of his remaining magic to get Gray to the guild. With the last of his power he slammed straight through the doors, shielding Gray with his body as he fell against a heavy fabric sofa nestled in the corner. Despite his weakness and exhaustion, he refused to leave Gray’s side.

 _Wound sealed hastily. The scar is likely permanent. Blood levels returning to normal with no sign of additional wounds. Intestinal tract repaired._ Wendy catalogued her activities as she went, coaxing the body to mend itself with her unique form of restorative magic. _Kidney damage complicated. Breathing functions are normal._

“Will he live?” Makarov whispered gently to Wendy at the bedside. They were intered in the emergency medical room buried somewhere in the new and improved guild. Natsu lay, barely awake, across a chair in the corner of the room.

“I think so. The wounds are severe but healing well….” Her voice trailed off as she spoke, like a path disappearing into a dark forest.

“But?”

“Something isn’t right. He should be regaining consciousness any minute now but I can’t feel any sign he’s coming to. It’s like he’s asleep, dreaming even.” She placed her hand against his face, pushing a gentle spell into his mind to ease him awake.

There was no response. She could feel his mind racing beneath her hand and yet he did not awaken as he should. The main injuries were healed as best she could; only his natural body could do the rest. Still he was no longer in a condition you could call “critical” so what was the problem? Why wasn’t he coming to?

“Wendy…” Natsu stood above them with his trembling hand against her should. She looked up at him. The face that she saw was enough to make anyone’s stomach turn. “Can you help him?” He uttered weakly. 

“I’ve healed his body as much as I can. He’ll live...whatever is stopping him waking up, I can’t help that.” She looked back down at the ice wizard. His breathing had slowed and grown gentle.

Natsu fell to his knees and placed his hands against Gray’s arm.

“Don’t you dare die on me.” Each word was uttered with a weak shudder, fighting back the urge to cry. “Who else can I beat the shit out of and still gets back up at the end of it? Who else is a real challenge round here and actually bothers when we fight. We were just getting you back, Gray. I was just getting you back.”

Wendy looked at him, her own eyes tingling a little as he spoke.

“What good am I as a Fairy Tale wizard if I cannot protect those in my team, Especially you. A mate protects. Fucked that up on day one”

Makarov took Wendy’s hand, not taking his eyes off of Natsu. “You’ve done all you can; I think it’s best we leave them.” She didn’t fully understand the connotations of what was going on but knew better than to question her master.

“Stupid Ice Freak. Playing with me like this.”

“You better come back to us. I don’t think I can handle it if you don’t.”

* * *

 

Gray had the most curious sensation he was falling. It was that uncertain feeling of falling you get when you’re just about to fall asleep, jerking you awake with the sensation of total weight loss. He opened his eyes to see an infinite vista of stars, planets and galaxies all around him. There was no tangible up or down as he floated amongst the bodies in the heavens.

 _I wonder what happened? Am I dead?_ He suspected he might well be. There was no way this was the real world; for starters, there was no gravity. He couldn’t particularly feel any magic about him either. Perhaps this was what happened after you died. _Spending an eternity floating about between the stars. It’s poetic but I’ll get bored in a millennium_. As if to respond to his thoughts he landed down on an icy floor.

All around him, a snowy city burned.

 _Here. This is where the afterlife brings me?_ The central market street of his home city was in utter chaos. Market stalls lay in tatters with produce littering the floor; The bodies of the dead were all round him.

_Why couldn’t I die and go to Akane?_

However, something was not quite right. He noted that neither Ur or Lyon had made it into this fantasy afterlife. Ergo, this couldn’t be a direct replica of the real world event. It was like a macabre, well executed play world designed to replicate his memories.

Somewhere in the distant, a tremendous howl sounded. It shook the very earth he stood on while buildings faltered and collapsed to the floor. The noise wracked through him, tearing at his soul. He knew the sound of that beast, he knew the noise that sounded in the darkness.

_Deliora._

He turned on his heel to witness it. The great demon loomed in front of him, eyes glowering in pure darkness and fangs stained red with blood. It stood looking at him, unmoving and empty.

It was as if his life flashed before him. Everything that had ever plagued him was right there in front of him, unmoving and waiting for him. The demon that murdered his parents, spent the life of his beloved master and ruined his bond with one of his best friends from his childhood; right there for the taking. It might have been the afterlife, but he couldn’t let this opportunity pass.

“I’ve waited my whole life for this…” A faint smile crossed his lips as he cast off his shirt. Ice swirled about him as he leapt for the demon.

* * *

 

Nothing changed.

Three days had passed and Gray lay with nothing more than his shallow, soft breathing to signpost he was alive. By now, the vast majority of his wounds were healed. Every few hours Wendy came to check on him, infusing just a touch more healing magic to encourage him to naturally heal. Each time she sent a little signal encouraging him to wake up, but it did nothing.

Natsu had not left his side.

Each day the guild filled with people who had any care for him. His friends and brother from Lamia scale arrived a few hours after the news had reached them via lacrima. The Trimens and Ichiya, as well as several others from Blue Pegasus, arrived on the second day.

In all that time, Natsu had not left Gray’s side. Mira brought Food for him periodically which for the most part had gone mostly ignored. Natsu wasn’t interested in anything other than Gray.

He couldn’t escape the feeling that he was losing him and that was something he couldn’t cope with. As much as he found it hard to admit, Makarov was right.

_I’ve fallen for him. What the fuck is he going to think if he ever wakes up?_

How do you tell someone you’ve fallen in love with them? Well, it was more than that. How do you tell someone that you can’t be without them and they likely, eventually, won’t be able to fight you away? It all sounded a bit hazy and he didn’t like that there was a lack of choice in it.

Still, He had to wake up for that to be a possibility. Wendy had assured him that physically there was nothing wrong. Nothing really prevented him from coming awake but some little corner of his mind stubbornly resisted the call to wake up.

“Nothing, then?” Startled, Natsu turned upward.

Gajeel stood in the doorway with his arms folded across his chest.

“Why do you care?” Natsu looked at him fiercely, remembering vividly the last time Gajeel and Gray had been near one another. Whatever Gajeel had said to piss Gray off did the trick and had earned him a thorough smackdown.

“Cause I gotta get my own back some day, firefly.” Gajeel grunted in a chuckle.

“Lay a finger on him and I’ll kill you.” Flame encased his first as he hissed his threat. Gajeel looked at him sidelong before  rueful smile played his lips.

“Oh really? We’re due a rematch, someday. But you guys can’t stand each other, why the hell have you gone all protective over him?”

“None of your business. Shove off somewhere else.”

“Whatever, Natsu. I’ll leave you to _protect_ him.” The emphasis on the word gave away Gajeel suspected something 

 _Fuck him. Who cares if he knows something, bolt-for-brains is too stupid to use it against me_. 

Gray stirred slightly to his side. Natsu leapt to his side, placing his hand against Gray’s chest. There was no sign of him waking up but his eyes rolled frantically beneath his eyelids. His heart rate was through the roof and he felt cold to the touch, even for Gray.

 _Fuck_.

“Come on Gray, don’t fucking leave me. Not now.” Whatever was happening, it couldn’t be good. He knew that Wendy would be there in a minute or two as she’d be listening for days for any sign of change.

For the first time since it happened, the Dragon Slayer stopped to really _look_ at Gray. Even like this, with wounds that were stitching themselves together he was really beautiful. That tousled dark hair framing an angular, lean and classical face. His body was muscled in just the right places; not bulging like a bodybuilder but defined at the chest and stomach. He had several scars across his body, each an intricate physical picture of hardships long passed. Natsu thought of them as a timeline; he could see where the oldest had faded into weak marks where the newer ones were raw and visible.

“Come back to me” He whispered, more to himself than anything. Without really thinking, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to the unmoving ice wizard’s.

For all he knew, it would be the last and only opportunity.

* * *

 

“Why don’t you fucking die!”

Gray leapt to the side as a beam of superheated magic sliced across the ground from the Demon’s mouth. Moments after the beam traced across the ground a brilliant explosion consumed the very air in fire. 

No matter how hard he tried, the Demon was too strong. Several attacks he had made did find their mark and appeared to hurt it but these were nowhere near enough to defeat him. Fortunately, his  reflexes had kept from harm but he was slowing. He was tiring, with stamina and magic nearly depleted. 

 _Perhaps this is how you truly die. Maybe it’s a test; face your demons (literally) one last time to have a stab at living before you are consumed by the end_.

He had to admit it. He wasn’t strong enough. He didn’t have enough power, he didn’t have the skill. Who was he kidding? Master Ur would almost certainly have had power enough to deserve the title of Saint Wizard should she have lived long enough to visit Fiore and she was only able to defeat him with the ultimate price paid.

 _I’ll be damned if I’m going out without a fight!_  
  
“Ice Make: Cannon!” Above his head the arcane weapon formed, trained on the Demon. In direct response, Deliora drew back and prepared a magic blast. This was to be a cataclysm, the end of all ends.

“It won’t work, you know.”

“Natsu?! You pick a time like this to interrupt my afterlife? hell, I can’t be rid of you in death.” Gray turned to see the Dragon Slayer burning aflame, his skin coated from head to toe in scales. _Dragon Force._  

“I’m here to stop you from dying, princess. That thing is too strong for any single wizard to defeat so let's do it together.” The fire mage extended his hand to Gray, with a weak smile on his face.

 _What the hell. What the hell is actually happening? Natsu in the afterlife? Save me? I don’t understand of this. But he’s right. I don’t think I can take him. Maybe together we can…_  
  
Hesitantly, Gray took the hand of the Dragon Slayer and his entire world erupted.

He felt _alive_ . Every fibre of his being oozed sheer magic power, it burned within him and froze him to the core. A power the likes of which he had never felt coursed through his entire being. He felt his skin ripple and crack, covered in a scaly pattern much like Natsu’s. _Dragon Force._

“Fine. Together.”

Both of them released their combined might at the demon at once and the world was torn asunder.

* * *

 

Gray felt a gentle pressure against his mouth before he felt anything else. He didn’t have the strength to open his eyes, much less move his arms or legs in any way. Every inch of him hurt from the bottom of his legs to his pounding head. 

He wondered briefly whether he was alive or whether this was the afterlife. If it were the afterlife it must be decent as whoever was... _are they kissing me?_ Felt wonderful.

He opened his eyes and a breath hitched in his throat. A familiar shock of pink hair greeted him.

“Natsu?”

Natsu blinked his eyes wide open and drew back from the bed. They stared at one another for a moment, one in utter shock while the other burned crimson in embarrassment. The Dragon Slayer turned to leave the room.

“Natsu! Wait!” Gray called after him as the Dragon Slayer abandoned his watch.

  
_Fuck. Natsu fucking kissed me._


	7. Pebble to the Avalanche

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The Avalance has already started; it's too late for the pebbles to Vote". - Read from that what you will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im so sorry for the horrendous hiatus. I have such a love hate relationship with writing. it's not cool ^^;

**Unknown location - Forgotten Desert**

The fire at the centre of the cave crackled vaguely as it consumed the last of its fuel. It barely provided enough illumination to light the wide cavern, throwing dark and perilous shadows off every surface.

This hole in the earth was buried far from the prying eyes of the authorities and civilians alike. There were few better hiding places anywhere in the known kingdom and it served Jose’s purposes greatly.

_ I had them. I had them within my grasp, finally, and they stopped me at the last hurdle. _ He had barely escaped with his life after the last encounter. He had, in one fell swoop, rendered three of the most powerful guild members useless and at the edge of death. It was only the timely arrival of Natsu, the Salamander, that saved them from their end.

Somewhere at the edge of his vision, a human figure stirred. Their movements were languid and weak, no doubt from the restraint he had placed them in. The creature had been left incoherent with weakness after struggling for however long.

“Silence.” Jose hissed at it. “You’ll be free of it all soon enough.” He continued marking the floor of the cave with an intricate circular pattern of symbols and ancient writings. He limped a little with each step as his wounds had not fully healed.

_ It is complete. _

He trudged to the now animated body and lifted it. It was a young man, perhaps 18-20 years of age and full the precocious defiance of youth. Jose held the man’s bitter gaze before throwing him to the centre of the circle.

The edge of the circle exploded into light and cast a column of magic to the ceiling. The writing that had been scrawled into the dirt crawled across the skin of the bound man as Jose channelled his magical essence into the magic. It was an ancient, and particularly dark form of magic that had been forgotten to the sands of time. Few had the technical skill to learn it, much less exploit it.

“Freedom comes at a price, boy.” Jose placed his hand into the magic circle as the spell reached it’s Zenith, completely ignoring the youth’s screams of torment.

Within moments, the body had vanished and the circle along with it. Jose’s wounds had healed without a trace. He stood tall and proud, visibly rejuvenated by the life he had stolen.

“A strong one with plenty of magic. A pity. Regardless, he serves a better cause now.”

He had long since stopped caring about how many burned to see his retribution.

* * *

  
  


For the first time in his life, Natsu ran.

He ran as fast as his feet could carry him beyond the walls of the guild, barely avoiding crashing into the mass of people that had realised Gray was awake. The calls of his guild mates had gone unanswered as he flung himself through the doors and out into the bitter morning.

A storm had swept in from the coast in the days he stood watch over Gray’s healing body. The air was thick and heavy with weight of charged lightning; Rain had fallen heavily for 3 days straight with no sign of letting up. Had he been thinking soundly he might have stopped for a coat.

He ran past the markets. He ran past the team’s favourite noodle bar, ran past the apartment he and Gray had recently started sharing and eventually beyond the city gates themselves. 

_ Gray _ .  _ I’m sorry _ .   
  
Whatever he felt about Gray, this was the last thing the ice wizard needed now. He had barely survived their last encounter with the former head of Phantom Lord and would need plenty of time to recover. The wounds would be emotional as well as physical; anyone who had come so close to death is changed by the experience. Lord knows, Natsu had been there a few times himself.

_ I can’t do it to him. I have to get away and give him space. _ Somewhere, deep inside, he didn’t believe a word of it.

It had been many years since Natsu last returned to the cave in which he and his father had lived. The mix of melancholy and happy emotions was not something he wished to experience often. Since the disappearance of Igneel, and several of the other Dragon Slayer parents, it visiting their former home had become more and more uncomfortable.

However, there was a logic to returning. Igneel had always tried to encourage Natsu to read and study even if his younger self had almost no interest in it. He knew there was still some items of Igneels within the cavern that might help him in his predicament.

The cave was a good day’s hike from Fiore. It represented a perfect opportunity to think.

_ Do I really feel for him? I guess I have to admit that I do. I’ve seen him in a completely light since this all started. _

The defined features of Gray’s physique he’d never noticed came to mind. Despite the many battle Gray had seen, he remained in peak condition. Anyone would be proud to claim him.

_ Claim him?! Is that how we’re going to start thinking of it now. _

The truth of the matter is he did want to. Every fibre of Natsu’s being demanded he turn around and run to be at the side of the one he’d chosen. Even if Gray rejected him flat out there and then, it wouldn’t matter. 

However he knew this was for the better. It meant a self imposed exile while they worked shit out but this way Gray would be happier and have some space to work stuff out.

This was for the best for Gray, and that’s all there is to it.

 

* * *

  
  
  


Gray screamed again.

Three days had passed since Natsu had left his side. Three days had passed since Natsu had awoken him with the gentle and clumsy kiss. The spur of the moment encounter had left a lasting mark on Gray, a mark that left him burning.

The storm continued to rage outside. Quiet whisperings within the guild wondered whether Juvia was responsible. Coming home to find her unrequited love both gravely injured and suffering immeasurably had taken a heavy toll. When Gray insisted she leave him in peace, she became withdrawn and reclusive.

In truth, everyone was on edge. Wendy tried each day to search for the ailment that plagued him but it was useless. All she could do was introduce pain control magic in a vague attempt to dull the fire that was consuming him.

Porlyusica had poured over more books than she had ever seen after raiding the Magic Council’s archives. They had only granted her permission after Makarov reminded them of all the work FairyTail and Gray specifically had done to thwart evil over the years. There had been fleeting whisperings in the oldest textbooks on dragons but nothing conclusive.

Erza and Lucy had taken it in turns to watch over him. Lucy looked at the edge of tears whenever Gray cried out, acutely aware of how helpless she was. Erza had resigned herself to steely silence in her watch.

Erza had taken watch when he deteriorated. She tried her best to hold him in place and stop him from hurting himself but whatever plagued him was inside. His skin felt many times hotter than it should have. In the fleeting moments where he was lucid, he mentioned the burning.

“Well, he looks like shit.” Erza turned, startled at the intrusion. A familiar, and not entirely welcome, shock of wild blonde hair greeted him. To his side stood the foreboding presence of another wizard, his head framed with long black hair.

“Sting. You and Rogue aren’t welcome here.”

“Relax, queen bee. That whole competition stuff is long gone. Besides, as official Guild Master for Sabretooth, you know I can sorta do what I want.” He winked at her. “Tell ya the truth, we’ve been here for a big conference. Really boring, if you ask me. We thought we’d stop by.” He looked at Gray’s quaking frame with a curious, side long expression.

“We may be able to help.” Rogue offered nothing to verify his statement, only the sincerity of its tone. Under any normal circumstances Erza would have thrown the idea aside. She looked at Gray, pausing to consider her options, before standing to the side.

Sting sauntered up to the side of the bed and prodded Gray firmly at the chest. Gray recoiled against the touch and curled toward the wall.

“Oi, Ice man. You remember me?” Gray didn’t reply. “Aw, come on. That’s no way to greet an old friend.” Erza tutted softly. “You look like you’ve been in a bit of a war, buddy.”

It was true. Ever since the latest episode had begun, no one had been able to keep him still or comfortable for long enough to remove any of the bandages. The scar on his stomach still looked fresh while the bruises had barely begun to heal.

“Gray.” Without anyone realising, Rogue had stepped up to the bed and rested his hand against Gray’s arm. At least, it looked like his hand. It was enveloped in shadow seemingly both real and imaginary at the same time. Gray calmed a little at the touch and the firm call to his name. “You remember us?” Gray managed a weak nod.

“Come on, that’s no fair. Sometimes your shadow stuff is far too cool.” Sting pouted a little. “Hey Gray, what’s up? What are you feeling?” There was a lengthy pause as Gray struggled to control the pain in his body.

“It...burns.” 

“When did it start, Gray?” Rogue asked softly. Another lengthy pause followed.

“Natsu...leave.” Rogue and Sting looked at each other with sidelong expressions. Sting smiled broadly while Rogue nodded briefly.

“Alright, popsicle. Does it hurt most...here?” Sting placed two fingers firmly against Gray’s shoulder, just between the neck and the collar bone. The ice wizard screamed in response, grasping at the hand and trying to force it from him. “I take that as a yes, then.”   
  
“Did you and Natsu touch at all before you left?” Rogue asked. The pause was far lengthier this time. You could almost hear the machinery clicking of Gray’s mind processing the question and deciding how to answer.

“Yes.” His voice hitched. For some reason it didn’t seem to Erza that this was related to his ailment; this felt more like it hurt in another way entirely.

“In what way?” Gray barely moved but pressed a finger gently against his lip. It was all the confirmation the slayers needed.   


“Mated…” Rogue said softly, idly thumbing the same spot on his own neck.

“Yup. Who’d have thought that from these two, eh?” Sting elbowed Rogue, making the shadow slayer blush ever so softly.

“What are you talking about?” Erza had grown impatient now. They had proffered very little beyond vague questions and couldn’t possibly have reached a conclusion from that alone.

Sting turned to face her, his expression far more serious than she had ever seen it.

“We need to find Natsu and quickly.”

“Why? What’s that got to do with Gray?”   
  
Each of them were drawn to a heavy movement as Gray shifted in the bed to face them, the pain obvious from the grimace he wore across his face.

“Nat...su.” He could barely finish the word before he drifted unconscious once again.

“Look, I could spend all the time in the world explaining it but he needs Natsu and he needs him fast. Do you know where he has gone?”

“None of us do.”

“Then speculate.”

“Well. Whenever he’s disappeared for a few days he usually goes back to his childhood home. Where he and Igneel lived.”

“A cave you mean? Charming.” Sting groaned a little. “Well whatever, we need to go.”

It didn’t take much convincing for Makarov to loan them the use of a magi-vehicle. Erza had intended it to be the perfect opportunity to interrogate the pair of them on what the hell is going on. It hadn’t occurred to her that they were just as much Dragon Slayers as Natsu and Gajeel were. Motion sickness took them within moments.

  
She guessed the only answers she would get would have to come from Natsu himself.

The magi-car tore through the countryside as quickly as Erza could will it forward. The storm had subsided at last, leaving the roads treacherous but ultimately traversable with a degree of care. The last part of the journey would require a little off-roading but that was no bother.

Erza had far more questions than she had answers. It felt altogether too coincidental that Sting and Rogue would turn up at just the right time in his hour of need. They acted a little odd in one another’s company. They clearly knew more than she did about what was going on 

The last vestiges of milky sunlight cast long, haunting shadows from the trees at the edge of a clearing. She’d only ever been to the cave once before when Natsu was very young but remembered it well. The artificial clearing at the edge of the cave had begun to take root with trees after years of neglect but the entrance was still visible clearly.

All three of them stepped free of the vehicle. Both Rogue and Sting perked instantly after leaving it, advancing confidently toward the entrance to the cave. There was no evidence at all that the cave was anything but lifeless. No fire, no movement, no smells. It felt almost empty.

“This is the right place, Erza?” Sting asked impatiently, looking over the entrance with disdain. “It’s a shit hole.”

Within a moment a stream of fire erupted from the entrance. Sting barely had enough time to leap out of the way before it passed him.

“Natsu!” Erza shouted out to him. The fire stream stopped but no further reply came. “We need to talk, Natsu.” Again, no reply sounded out.

“Oi, flamebrain! It’s about your boyfriend.” Sting called, deliberately trying to goad Natsu. It worked.

Natsu exploded from the cave, knocking Sting to the ground. Erza had never seem him so consumed by rage and indignation. Even Sting looked at him with a degree of reticence.

“What...did you say?” Natsu hissed.

“You know what I said, spark. It’s about Gray.” Natsu’s face washed over pale. Sting pushed him off, letting him slump to his knees and stood up.

“What about him?” Natsu made a vague attempt to appear nonplussed but no one was fooled.

“You need to go back to him.” Natsu stood up to leave, attempting to continue the charade. Rogue stepped in front of him and placed his hand firmly against his shoulder.

“Natsu, listen to me. Gray is in danger.” Natsu stopped. “You’ve started something you can’t back away from now when you met the last time. You know what I’m talking about.”

“But...I can’t do that to him. He needs to have his own life.”

“Ain’t much cop if he dies in agony, is it?” Sting pushed Natsu backwards firmly. “You’re supposed to look after them, not abandon them.”

“I’m trying to let him have his future.”   
  
“You are his future!” Sting shouted. “Without you, he dies. It’s that simple Natsu. He’s lying in a bed, writhing in pain and burning away as he can’t control what you released in him.”

It couldn’t be. Natsu was doing that to him? He’d tried to fight that urge to return, dismissing it as best he could but he now knew why. Whatever it was that was started was unavoidable for either of them.

“What...I didn’t know it…”

“Didn’t your dad teach you anything? Fuck me. Well whatever. Are you going to look after him or what?” Sting gestured toward the magi-car.

Natsu hesitated for a moment. Once he travelled down that road, there would be no turning back but if Gray’s life was in danger the choice was obvious.

  
Natsu stepped inside.


	8. New Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy :)

In the dark twilight, a solitary set of headlights tore across the countryside.

 

If someone’s emotions made a visible effect on the world around them, the inside of the magi-car would be a storm. Natsu had barely spoken since Erza and the Sabertooth Dragon Slayers had come to drag him home. There was a tacit agreement between the three Dragons that this was a private matter; while Rogue and Sting cared enough to come all this way with Erza to find him, they would not get into the minutiae of the situation. A small part of Natsu was grateful for that at least.

 

Both of them were barely containing their sickness. Without any form of magical way of staving off the effects of travel sickness, each had been on the edge of being sick from the moment the car began to move. Natsu, too, had felt the nausea  set in within moments. It was only the fact he was so distracted that kept it from consuming him.

 

 _Why can’t I do anything right?_ He had purposely sought to exile himself for a little while to give Gray some distance and space. The connection that been forced upon them was nothing Natsu wanted; it was not fair. To have your life partner decided for was a barbaric practice and outlawed in all the free nations centuries ago. Why was it any different when magic was involved?   
  
More to the point, how would he explain it to Gray? Gray couldn’t feel the same way toward him, no matter how much magic would try to bend his will. Gray didn’t even like guys. He refused to believe it was even possible.

 

And yet somehow, when Sting told him that he was in fact hurting Gray, somehow he knew he was right. There was an imperceptible feeling in him somewhere, like a gnawing sixth sense, that confirmed his fears. Neither Sting nor Rogue had confirmed how bad it was. Erza remained entirely silent when Natsu asked which was enough.

 

The car jolted over a bump, rolling Rogue into Sting’s lap. All three of choked on the need to be sick, barely keeping control over their nausea. Erza would, under normal circumstances, have worded vague apology but she was far too engrossed. By now she had been driving the magi-car for nearly 7 hours. While she had more than enough magical energy in reserve, it was requiring enormous concentration to keep control of the vehicle given the speed she was travelling.

 

Natsu looked over absently at the two Dragon Slayers. It took him by surprise to see Rogue’s head resting against Sting’s lap. The Dragon of Light gently ran his trembling hand across the other’s side, gently forming erratic circles in the pattern of Rogues coat. Rogue turned his head softly and laid the gentlest of kisses to Sting’s thigh.

 

If he came to think about it, it made sense. Given the amount of time they spent together and the way they acted, it should hardly come as a surprise. Perhaps this explained why they had achieved the ability to Unison Raid so early in their lives. Perhaps this explained why they had rarely been seen apart. Natsu found it comforting that there were few more unlikely couples; if they could make a success out of this then who knew what was possible.

 

Sting looked up at him. “What? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

 

“I didn’t mean to.”

 

“Do you really not know anything about this?” Rogue’s interest had peaked, opening his eyes with a thin grimace. “About what happens to us as we get older?”

 

“Igneel didn’t really get into that.” Natsu blushed a little. “I guess he didn’t think it was important before he disappeared.”  
  
“Then how did you know?”   
  
“Guesswork, mostly.” It was an honest answer, if only half the truth. It was Fairytail’s master that put the connections together, with his own research on Dragon kind. He had no idea what it would really feel like. “How did you know? I mean. When you two…”

 

“ _Protect_.” Sting answered bluntly. “I reckon that’s a familiar word to you now. It’s like an all consuming feeling, nothing else in the world matters. You’re drawn to your mate like moth’s to the light. Sound about right?” Natsu nodded.

 

“Gray will feel it as well.” Rogue spoke for the first time since they had entered the car. “He’ll be overcome with the need to be with you, like a drug. That’s why he’s so desperate now.” Natsu recoiled at the thought of Gray in pain.

 

He had failed him.

 

“Did you go through this?” Natsu asked directly to Rogue.

  
“No. We didn’t try to avoid it.” Somehow, that felt more hurtful than it needed to.

 

“Natsu, we’re nearly there,” Erza had remained quiet throughout but it was evident she was struggling to maintain control. The spire of Kardia cathedral loomed in the distance, the tallest parts shrouded by a curtain of low cloud. He was home.  
  
And not a moment too soon.

 

The car pulled to a stop outside the city walls and each clambered out. Erza’s movements carried those of steely determination. Each step carried with it a weight and clumsiness that betrayed her fatigue. Sting and Rogue too took a little longer to compose themselves than before.

  
Natsu didn’t care. It was clear to him what he needed to do. Without a moment’s pause, he leapt from the car and ran into the night. Ahead, the towers of the Guild loomed in front of him.

 

Something stirred within him. There was a scent carried on the air, both sweet and heady like the pungent smell of summer flowers. He knew immediately it had to be related to Gray. Somehow it still _smelt_ like he did, of heavy woods and winter flowers but this was altogether stronger. He felt drawn to it, like a bee to nectar.

 

The doors of the guild bore no resistance, clattering open as he ran through them. He paused in the great hall. The mood was sombre. Silence hang across the almost empty room. Only the last few patrons and their dependable steward, Mira, remained. Upon seeing Natsu she perked immediately, swiftly walking toward him.

 

“Natsu, where have yo…”  


“Where is Gray?” The words came out with the ferocity of a roar. Mira knew better than to try and chastise him now. She simply pointed toward the infirmary and stepped aside. He was gone within a moment, barely letting the air settle.

 

Each corridor seemed to stretch into infinity. He knew he was drawing near as the scent grew stronger and all the more intoxicating. He knew he was close when heavy, strained groans emanated from the door.

 

Natsu turned the corner and stopped as if turned to stone within an instant. Gray lay curled into the fetal position, clutching frantically at his stomach. Deep red veins crossed the surface of each eye. They appeared rivers of molten blood, scarring the surface of the sclera and granting him an almost vampiric look. Each breath he took shuddered from his lips, coarse and laboured. He had the image of a man on the edge of insanity, quaking as the molecules that bound his body together burned like the surface of the sun.

 

Natsu felt the tears before he was even conscious he was crying; his grasp on the world around him was poor enough he began to wonder when it had rained. Each solitary tear trailed down his cheek before pooling at his jaw and falling into nothing.

 

It was only the scent of one another that drew each from their state of amnesia. Gray caught the poorly defined but delicious scent of _home_ on the breeze that filtered through the corridor. Natsu, in turn, caught the honeylike scent of the sweetest nectar on the planet. Gray looked at the door and spotted him. His pupils exploded in raw, unfettered need as he stumbled past the first few sounds in the Dragon Slayer’s name.

 

He managed the nasal sound of the N as he reached toward the door. Natsu needed no further invitation.

The Dragon advanced on the bed purposefully, extending his own trembling arm to meet the Ice Wizard’s. Magic has many forms. Some use magic for triviality like cleaning the dishes or changing their hair colour. Magic had been used in the noblest forms, curing countless diseases and bringing the end to famines across entire continents. Legions of warriors used Magic in innumerable ways to protect their families, homes and traditions from those that would assail them. Magic had built the greatest cities, had bent the seasons to their will and laid ruin to entire empires with its might.

 

Magic had been born and reborn for endless millennia. Magic had been made anew, had been tamed by great machines, had been turned into a household commodity. Yet few things were more powerful than _old_ magic. Magic of the earth, of the sea and wind and fire. Magic of life and of death. Magic of the forests and of the stone. The Magic of Heartbreak, the Magic of Sorrow, the Magic of Joy and the Magic of Love.

 

When their skin connected, Gray felt the universe shift around him. It was as if the sun above their heads was no longer that which everything else orbited around. Gravity carried no meaning, nor the fundamental laws of magic. Gray knew only one constant and it was staring him in the face, pink hair floating in the breeze.

 

Only days ago they had started their tentative journey toward his recovery. It had seemed a fool’s errand, an outrageously wild attempt to bring his instabilities in check. In truth he never thought it would even work.

  
And yet somehow, here he was. It felt so simple now. He felt, looking back, that he had been blinded and unable to see the true _beauty_ of the world that surrounded him. And that world centered squarely on Natsu.

 

Natsu’s body twitched with electrification as his leathery skin met the supple hands of the Ice Wizard. He clutched possessively at the shaking hand as if it might float away or disappear like a Dandelion in springtime air. He ran his finger against it, gently tracing patterns in the palm.

 

He could feel Gray still a little.

 

“Natsu.” The word came as barely more of a sigh.

 

“Gray.” It was a statement and a challenge. Without even thinking about it, Natsu leapt onto the bed and pinned Gray down, each limb holding its counterpart firmly against the mattress. It was only now he really _looked_ at Gray. He looked at the inflated and dark pupils, dripping with desire. He looked at the tousled mess of inky hair that contrasted so starkly with the white sheets of the bed. He looked at the crisscross pattern of scars and old wounds that served to frame his masculine, defined physique.

 

“You came back.” Gray’s voice trembled only faintly. There was no malice nor hatred as Natsu had told himself there should be. Gray sounded warm and affectionate. He sounded relieved.

 

“I did.” Natsu smiled gently. “I didn’t mean to do..” Gray leant forward and pressed himself firmly against Natsu’s mouth in a firm but chaste embrace.

 

“Don’t say it. I don’t want to hear why, or how or what. It is. We are. I can feel it.” Somehow, despite being nearly delirious moments before, Gray had summed up the only bits that objectively matter. It didn’t matter whether it was a curious quirk of Dragon Slayer Magic, it didn’t matter if it was a real repressed desire. It was irrelevant. It simply….was.

 

Natsu gave in.

  
He pushed his lips against Gray’s, redoubling the pressure on the now stilled limbs he had captured before. Gray returned it, fiercely jostling for space as they gave in to their passion. Natsu slipped his tongue gently inside Gray’s mouth and savoured the warmth within. Gray felt his head pound with a rush of blood. All the senses that had been at the periphery of his control during his short illness flooded back in a dizzying torrent. He felt _alive_ again.

 

More important than any physical feeling, he could feel what it was that drew him to Natsu. All he could think about while lying there on that bed was Natsu and the need to be near him. Where had it come from? What was it’s purpose? He’d never felt this way to his knowledge. As they lay there, slowly entangling further into one another’s embrace it hit him like hammer.

  
It had always been so. They had fought, sparred and traded insult. They had had a couple of serious fights, beating each other until neither could continue. But they had always drawn one another out. During the worst missions and the fragile history of FairyTail, they had helped each other fight their own demons and countless others besides. They were Natsu And Gray, probably the strongest fighting pair in all of Fiore. Fire and Ice, Dragon and Man, Passion and Logic...it was almost destiny itself. If you believed that stuff anyway.

  
Natsu pulled away with him and gave him a smile that could relight stars with it’s warmth. “Gray…” Gray blushed a little at the sincerity in his voice. It warmed him through to the bone all at once.

 

It was only now that they both noticed Gray no longer trembled. His limbs and extremities were fully at his command and all pain had passed, beyond a dull headache that clung about his skull. Gray very slowly and purposefully slipped his leg from the bed and stood. He stood tall if stiffly, flexing the muscles that lay dormant underneath.

  
“Gray, you’re…” He was stopped when Gray grabbed him in his arms and clung to him.

 

“Yeah. Because of you. I don’t really know why but you’ve done it.”

They were drawn to an awkward cough grumbling at the door. Natsu’s cheeks flushed an even darker shade of pink while Gray defensively stood forward.

 

“Sting?” Gray’s hands were enshrouded in whirling cloud. Gray was very good at grudges and their feud with Sabretooth, though now ended and history, was not so easily forgotten. Sting held his hands up in a showy signal of “peace”. Rogue, who had drifted into view behind him, remained perfectly still as he stared at Gray. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  
Natsu shifted uncomfortably next to him, catching Gray’s interest for a moment.

 

“Why don’t you ask Firefly over there?” Gray growled a little at the casual way Sting spoke.

 

“Um...Gray, we might need to talk a bit.” Natsu looked at him almost like a puppy that had just torn apart your brand new, prized sofa.

 

“You mean you haven’t told him yet?” Sting asked, incredulously.

  
“He looked like he was fucking dying, give me a break!” Natsu spat back.

  
“He probably was.” Rogue gently interjected, wrapping his hand softly against Sting’s shoulder.

  
Gray, who had noticed Erza had softly entered the fray just behind Rogue and was blushing a red that would give her hair a run for its money, had grown irritated. “Will one of you scaley assholes explain to me what’s going on?” None of them spoke. Finally, Natsu turned toward him and nervously met his gaze.

  
“I know what’s going on. How it happened. Or at least, I think I do.” He glanced toward Rogue who nodded very softly in silent confirmation. “It’s a Dragon Slayer thing.”

 

“Thing? Heavy on specifics, flamebrain.” Gray gave him a wicked smile, enjoying Natsu squirm a little.

 

“I was getting to it, give me a chance. Shit, this is awkward,” Natsu shifted from one foot to another. “Alright…”

 

“You know how when you’re 16 or something and you fancy half the people you meet. You go on dates, you try stuff out a bit.” Gray nodded, not entirely sure where this was going. “Well Dragons do stuff differently. They will only ever fall in love once. The two Dragons will be perfect for another because they were made for one another; via magic, genetics or whatever they will inevitably come together.”

 

“I think I see where this is going…”  
  
“Dragon Slayer magic changes us in the same way. We...we behave exactly the same. We have only one mate and there can be no one else. They will fall for us and we will fall for them. It’s the way it will always be”

 

Gray couldn’t decide how he felt about it. There was a part of him that couldn’t deny being excited at the prospect of the devoted lover who would never, ever break away. It had a romantic side, like the romance stories in children’s books. He could get used to that. But it could also be argued that Natsu himself had absolutely no feelings for him and was driven solely by the magic inside and that was hardly as romantic.

 

Natsu seemed to come to that potential conclusion at the same time. “Shit, I didn’t mean…I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like we get drawn to the one we will eventually mate with. There is no one else.”

 

“Thing is it affects you two, ice queen,” Sting piped up at this point, clearly enjoying Natsu’s embarrassment. “It takes two to tango and it takes two to become dragon-mates.”

 

The realisation hit Gray again. This is why he had been in such a state the past few days with Natsu gone. It was because of the mating process, something stirred inside him that essentially made him dependent on Natsu. Though there were a great many holes in the explanation, and precious little actual evidence, it felt right. Something inside him confirmed it to be true.

 

Gray turned to Natsu who was unable to meet his gaze. For a moment, the Natsu looked almost vulnerable. He looked anywhere but Gray’s eyes, feet shuffling idly beneath them. It was _adorable_.

  
Gray took his chin softly in his hand and reached forward to place a long, gentle kiss to his cheek. “So that means I chose you too.” Natsu looked at him with both relief and joy. He took it better than Natsu had ever thought possible.

 

Somewhere behind them, Erza’s eyes widened before blushing an even deeper shade of red.

 

“Now boys, I’m gonna give you just a little bit of advice,” Sting gestured grandiosely, trying to draw them out of their reverie. “Right now, the bond isn’t settled or anything. Gray’s got a little bit of a reprieve but it’s temporary. You’ll need to finalise it.”

 

Natsu and Gray both knew exactly what he meant.

 

“With that, I think it’s time we took our leave of you.” Sting winked at them both. Rogue gave a gentle smile and knowing nod toward Gray, leaving them in peace. The silence between them sat for a moment before Natsu turned toward Gray.

  
“I was worried you’d react badly to me when I told you.” Gray looked at him warmly and placed a hand against his arm.

 

“There’s an old saying - If you Desire Healing, Let yourself fall Ill. I guess I needed this for a long time. I feel more alive than I’ve done in years and it’s down to you. Who cares if this is some side effect of Dragon magic; it’s real, it’s here and I’m sure as hell not letting go of it.” Gray wrapped himself around the shorter wizard, hugging him protectively.

 

“So what about it Dragon boy. Stake your claim.” It was an order.

 

It was also a challenge. Natsu felt himself boil with a fire of an unknown nature, every inch of him tensing with the brazen comment. _Claim what’s yours_. It was an internal imperative of a similar manner to his need to Protect but multiplied tenfold.

 

Without any warning, he lifted Gray bridal style and marched through the double doors that lead to a courtyard outside the room, ignoring the surprised protest from the ice wizard.

  
" _Mine_.” His words were barely more than a hiss and his eyes burned a lusting inferno.


End file.
